The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown
by kaleen1212
Summary: When Ironside sends Ed to Las Vegas to bring back a witness sceduled to testify in court againt a mobster accused of murdering a senator, he disappears. Ironside must go to Las Vegas, solve a murder and find his missing sergeant... alive if possible.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer:

I do not own the Ironside characters. They are the creation of Collier Young. All other characters were created by me in order to tell this story. Please remember, my timeline is set in present day and not when the show was on the airwaves. Nor do I strictly follow the timeline of the show.

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 1

1.1

Dennis Randall sat alone in Ironside's office drinking a glass of the chief's favorite bourbon. Chief Ironside had informed the commissioner that he and his staff would be arriving from Los Angeles, where they had been investigating the murder of Frank Rousseau. Ironside's son, Robert Duvalier had been accused of killing the Canadian detective. Chief Ironside's attorney brother, Perry Mason had defended the young man.*

Randall had another panic on his hands and when the city council panicked, Dennis always turned to his top detective to soothe the ills of the council, by placing him in charge of the investigation. He hated to bombard the detective's office with another case so soon after their arrival home but, after all, he was a consultant to the commissioner and Randall was about to consult him.

The commissioner did not like it when Ironside left San Francisco to help other police departments, or in this case... his brother, to solve crimes. Every time the chief left the city, it seemed criminals crawled out from under their rocks to cause trouble.

This was not a new problem, though. It had been brewing for a while. The mob had been in San Francisco for a long time. With Ironside's help, Randall was able to keep a close eye on their activities, thereby constricting them from becoming too much of a problem.

But as they say, _all good things must come to an end._ Benito Corneilo had strengthen his foot hold in the city and was taking over a lot of businesses. There had been a couple unexplained deaths of business owners, both of which had not been solved. Even though they were unsolved, they were connected to what was believed to be lower level hoods that worked for Corneilo. Despite efforts from the district attorney to make deals with some of his thugs, none of them would turn states evidence on Corneilo and testify.

Corneilo was ruthless, as well as having the ability to reach any of these men in prison. He made it clear to them if they talked, there was no where they could go that he could not reach them. And if he reached them, it meant certain death. He ran a tight ship and no one abandoned it.

Randall's problem was in the form of a California senator who was trying to make a name for himself. David Murdock had been elected to office in the last election and had decided that being a crime buster was his ticket to higher office. He was a Democrat who thought that President James Whitmore was vulnerable in his bid for re-election.**

Whitmore had ridden a wave into the White House, having helped Ironside bring down the governor of California, who had been involved in drug trafficking.*** Murdock was determined to do the same thing and the mob had become his primary target.

With all the television coverage the senator was getting, the city council was nervous and feeling the pressure to find a solution to the crime wave. Their solution was to dump it in Randall's lap. Randall's solution was to turn to the one man he could always depend upon to smooth the ruffled feathers of the city council. Even if there was nothing Ironside could do about it immediately, he could solve one problem concerning David Murdock.

The door to the office opened and the city's most effective detective wheeled his chair down the ramp, slowing his chair as he descended. Ed, Eve and Mark followed him to the main table.

Ironside studied the face of his boss. It did not take much deductive skills to determine the commissioner was not just there to welcome them home. "I hope you are enjoying that, Dennis. It is my best bottle of bourbon."

Randall took another sip and said, "Actually, I am. It is excellent bourbon."

"It should be. I had to pay through the nose to get it. I was saving it for a special occasion... which by the way did not include you!"

"Well, I can see your trip to Los Angeles has not put you in a better mood."

Ironside looked behind him to ascertain Mark's location. "Mark, whip us up something to eat, will you please? Airline food has given me a sour stomach... or is it this feeling we are about to have another case dumped on us?"

"You have such a suspicious nature, Bob." Randall said, taking another sip of bourbon.

"Oh, then you are not here to dump another case on us before we even get our suitcases unpacked?" Ironside asked sarcastically.

"Come now, Bob, you and I both know you are not going to unpack your own suitcase. You are going to make Mark do it."

"Dennis, you did not come here to talk about my suitcase. Now, why don't you tell us what you _did_ come here for."

"To welcome you home," Randall replied.

Ironside lowered his chin and raised his eye brows. "And after you have welcomed us home?"

Randall put his glass down. "Corneilo, I came to talk to you about him."

"Benito Corneilo?" Ironside asked.

"Do you know of another Corneilo? I sincerely hope not. The city is not big enough for two of them."

Mark set a glass down in front of Ironside and poured him some bourbon. "Is hamburgers alright for dinner?"

Ironside looked up and replied, "That's fine. Eve, Ed, sit down and stay for dinner." His detectives joined Ironside and Commissioner Randall at the table as Mark headed into the kitchen to fix the hamburgers.

"Now, what about Benito Corneilo?"

"Well, actually it is more about Senator Murdock." Randall put his right hand behind his neck and began to rub it as if it were stiff or painful.

"Let me guess, he has been on television ranting and raving about the crime in San Francisco and, the police and city council are not doing anything about it. That has the city council nervous, which in turn makes you nervous. Is that about right?"

Randall could not help but smile. Sometimes he wondered if Ironside could actually read minds. "That is about the size of it."

"Exactly what are you expecting us to do?" Ironside asked.

Ed frowned. "Wait a minute, isn't Senator Murdock going to be in San Francisco in a week or so?"

Randall nodded. "And the council is worried that it might be a perfect time for Corneilo to try to assassinate him."

"Murder... why do they always try to use water-downed words for murder?" Ironside complained.

"Okay, have it your way. Murder. Call it whatever you want," Randall conceded.

"What is it you want from us?" Eve asked the commissioner.

"I am putting you in charge of the senator's security. I don't want anything happening to him while he is in this city."

"Dennis, I am a cop, not a babysitter. Assign uniform cops to cover him. Besides, the senator will have his own security as well."

"And he will have yours as well," Randall said, getting up out of the chair. "I'm sorry, Bob. We have enough problems with Corneilo as it is. Until the police can get something on him to bring charges against him, the city council is going to be nervous about all the bad publicity Senator Murdock is bringing to San Francisco."

Randall got up and headed to the door. "Thanks for the drink... and welcome home."

"Drink! You drank half the bottle!" Ironside shouted over his shoulder as Randall left the office.

The chief removed his tie and tossed it towards his desk in frustration. It landed on the floor in front of it. Eve picked it up and set it on the desk, while Mark began serving the hamburgers with potato chips. Everyone ate in silence. All of them aware of how quickly their boss' mood had soured.

"Eve, when you get in tomorrow, call Senator Murdock's office and find out who is in charge of his security. I want to talk to him. We will have to coordinate our efforts with the senator's security detail," Ironside ordered.

"Yes, sir."

"Now if you people are done eating, go home and get some rest. We will start on Murdock's security in the morning."

Ed and Eve got up and headed for the door. "Good night, Chief," they said in unison.

"Good night," Ironside returned. He watched as his officers left the office; turned to Mark and asked, "Where are the keys to the van?"

Mark pulled them out of his pocket and tossed them to Ironside. He watched as the chief wheeled up the ramp. "I am going to visit Katherine. Don't wait up for me."

1.2

Benito Corneilo smoked a cigarette and watched the six o'clock news. His anger was slowly rising as Senator David Murdock was again on the news raving about the criminal element in San Francisco. He was making himself out to be the city's big protector. Corneilo snorted in disgust. The man thought he was a one-man crime buster. God, how he hated politicians. They all were crooks that pretended they cared about the people when, in fact, they cared about money just as he did. They were not there to serve the people; they were there to get rich. The only difference between him and them was they smiled and kissed babies as they ripped off the American people. Benito could not stand kids. He just as soon drop a baby in the San Francisco Bay. Kissing them was out of the question.

It just grated on his nerves that this guy went on television and called him a crook. Oh, he did not do it by name but everyone knew he was referring to him. Corneilo could not stand this man. It was about time someone shut him up.

He had been slowly building his empire right under the nose of the San Francisco Police. Benito had been careful to cover his tracks. So far, he had been successful in eluding the police. They had not been able to get one concrete bit of evidence against him. He did not think much of the police. None of them scared him... well, almost none of them.

He would take on any of them... except one... he would not mess with Robert T. Ironside. He was not the kind of man you messed with. Ironside was much smarter than the average cop. In fact, the man was brilliant. Benito did not mind admitting it. For not to admit it would be suicide. If Ironside was on your trail, you were in trouble. He was like a bulldog with a bone. He never gave up. It was one of the reasons he had chosen to build things slowly and not make waves.

By doing things the way he had, he had been able to avoid putting himself in the spotlight. The police knew about his activities but they could not prove a thing. Benito did not kill people who crossed him... at least not often. Occasionally, it became necessary to waste a guy and set an example. It kept them in line. Yet, when he had to take someone out, he was always careful to make sure it could not be traced back to him or any of his higher level men.

He did not tolerate mistakes in his organization. Guys who made mistakes only made them once. He avoided killing civilians but, he would not hesitate killing any of his men that disobeyed orders or screwed up. After all, the cops never spent much time investigating the murder of a wise guy. They figured it was just one less crook they had to worry about.

As a result of his policies, he had not brought much notice to the city council. Which meant they did not go running to Commissioner Dennis Randall, who in turn, would not have to go running to Ironside. He was able to avoid having to deal with the crippled detective. He did not underestimate that cop one bit. That wheelchair fooled a lot of crooks and the result was they now resided behind bars.

He did not intend to become one of them. Benito was actually proud that he was able to do business in Ironside's town. Most crooks eventually ended up on Ironside's radar and were outsmarted by the detective; landing them a life time home, courtesy of the tax payers.

That had all been up to now. Senator Murdock had been causing such a stir that the city council was now in a tizzy about crime in the city. It would not be long before Dennis Randall assigned Ironside to look into it.

Ironside did not know how to look into anything. His idea of looking into something was a full-blown investigation. Once he started, he did not stop until he had broken everyone involved in that investigation.

Benito had to do something to shut Murdock up. He could not allow the hypocrite to continue to run his mouth, or he would face dealing with Ironside and he wanted to avoid that at all cost. It was time he did something about the good senator. It was just his luck that Senator Murdock was coming to town to continue his crusade. It would be the last one he ever conducted.

1.3

A breeze blew into Ed Brown's black Ford as he drove through the streets of the city he loved. Although, he was exhausted, he was glad to be home. Nothing relaxed him more than being in San Francisco. It would not last very long, though, as the chief would be assigned some important case, and they would once again be working eighteen hours a day. Maybe, just maybe, he should take advantage of the calm before the storm and enjoy himself for one evening.

Ed looked up and down the street for a place to stop and have a drink. He had hoped the chief would offer him a glass of bourbon but he knew all that was on his mind was going to see Katherine, whom he had not seen since they had gone to Los Angeles to clear the chief's son of murder.

He would make use of his night off and seek out some feminine company, a luxury he could not afford very often with his schedule in the chief's office. Ed pulled his vehicle into the lot of the DNA Lounge and parked the Ford. He got out and headed towards the door. A shapely blonde came out just as Ed reached for the handle. She did not see him as she bumped into him. Ever the gentleman, Ed apologized for the contact between them. She smiled, told him it was alright and continued on her way. Brown could not help but turn his head to watch the gentle sway of her hips as she walked away from him.

He opened the door and went inside. A band was playing soft music as some couples were dancing on the dance floor. Brown looked around and spotted an empty table in the corner. He headed in that direction, with an appreciation of being able to enjoy the female scenery.

A waitress soon appeared at his table and asked him what he wanted to drink. He ordered a rum and coke before settling into the chair facing the band. He was pleased the music was not that hard rock the kids nowadays seem to prefer. When he looked around, he notice the crowd was mostly people his own age.

As he scrutinize them, one particular woman caught his eye. She was sitting at the bar and appeared to be alone. Ed watched as every few minutes some guy would stop and try to get her to dance. She was refusing every one of them.

Ed's curiosity was getting the better of him. She was a brunette with soft features, long hair and high cheek bones. From his advantage point, she looked absolutely beautiful. No wonder she was turning the heads of every man in the room. Sitting on the bar stool, her long shapely legs were exposed due to a very short skirt. Ed admired what he was seeing.

He got up and headed towards the bar after finishing his drink. Rather then wait for the waitress to return, he would march up there and get his own drink. When he arrived, he raised his hand, indicating to the bartender for service.

He looked at the woman sitting on the stool, realizing she was even more beautiful than he could see from across the bar. Noticing that her glass was empty, he smiled and said, "May I buy you a drink?"

She looked up at him with a frown but the frown turned into a smile when she saw the handsome detective. She had been hit on all evening but this man seemed different. He had a pleasant voice and his smile seemed to be genuine. She smiled back at him and said, "Yes, I would like that."

"What is the lady's preference?" Ed asked her.

"A glass of red wine would be nice," she answered.

Ed caught the bartender's eye. "Make it two." The man tending the bar poured two glasses of wine and set them in front of the couple. Brown threw some money down on the bar and put out his hand. "Ed Brown."

The woman accepted his hand and said, "Ava Blake. It's nice to meet you Ed Brown."

"I have never been here before," Ed told her. "I have lived in this city all my life and have never come in here."

"It's quiet. I hate noisy night clubs." She took a sip of her wine and smiled at Ed. "I come here often."

"In that case, I should have come in here long before now." He smiled at her again. "Tell me, what brings you here tonight?"

"Just trying to get away from someone. He can't seem to accept that we are finished. He has been stalking me."

"Maybe I can help you with that," Ed suggested.

A man walked up to the bar and ordered a drink. While the bartender was making it, he looked at Ed. "I thought I recognized you. How are you, Sergeant?"

Ed shook hands with the man and said, "Fine, Eddy. How's your son?"

"He's doing great. I can't thank you enough for helping him. You really turned him around."

"That's great, Eddy. I am happy for both of you," Ed told him.

"Well, got to get back to my date. Stop by the house sometime. I am sure Billy would like to see you."

"I'll do that. Take care of yourself." The man picked up his drink, turned and left.

"Sergeant? You are in the service?" she asked.

"In a way. I used to be in the Marines but I am in a service of a different kind now."

She gave him a puzzled look. Ed chuckled. "I'm a cop."

"Oh, a police sergeant."

"Actually, I am a detective sergeant. I work for Chief Ironside."

"Of course, I thought you looked familiar. I have seen your picture in the newspaper with the chief." She looked away from him.

"Is that a problem?" he asked.

She looked back at him and smiled. "No, not at all." A man came into the bar and she quickly turned away.

Ed glanced over to see what had caught her attention. "Is that the man that is stalking you?"

"One of them. Benito has several of them following me. Say, you wouldn't want to take me out of here, would you? Maybe go for a drive?" Ava asked.

Ed reached into his pocket and tossed a couple dollars on the bar. "I would love to? I will also make sure you arrive home safely."

"Can we go out the back door?"

Ed glanced back at the man who had just come in. "Sure." He picked up her purse from the bar and handed it to her. After helping her down from the stool, Ed led her to the back of the bar.

To Be Continued...

*Refers to my fanfiction Crossover, _The Case of the Mock Murder_

**Refers to my fanfiction Crossover, _The Case of the Politician's Wife._

 _***_ Refers to my fanfiction Crossover _, The Case of the Failure to Look Beyond the Obvious_


	2. Chapter 2

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 2

2.1

Robert Ironside maneuvered the specially equipped van along the country road in Sonoma County. He supposed he should have called Katherine and told her that he was back in town, but the commissioner's visit had put him in a sour mood. The forty minute drive into the country was just what he needed to calm his nerves.

Ironside was willing to take on almost any case Dennis Randall would send his way, but he hated babysitting politicians. They were, by the most part, impossible to deal with. They expected the police to help protect them, but refused to follow the advice of the officers that were charged with their protection.

Senator David Murdock was nothing but a egotistical maniac that got in front of a camera every chance he got. Murdock figured the more press he received, the better the chances people would come to recognize his face. Ironside knew he had aspirations for higher office. In fact, he was sure the man had his eye on President James Whitmore's job. He certainly spent his share of time criticizing the man. The junior senator from California seemed to think that the way to move up was to find fault with those around him, and then go after them with a vengeance.

He seemed to be giving President Whitmore a breather, as now the subject of attention was the San Francisco Police Department. Ironside had always been able to accept constructive criticism. The SFPD wasn't perfect. Every police department had room for improvement. Ironside was, however, protective of the officers and detectives. As far as he was concerned, it was one of the best run police departments in the state of California. They did not deserve to be branded incompetent by a power hungry politician, that had no idea what law enforcement in a large city entailed.

As Ironside approached the entrance of the Denuerve Vineyards, he decided to put Senator Murdock out of his mind. He had not seen Katherine since he had gone to Los Angeles to the police convention. He had stayed much longer than he had obviously planned when his son had been accused of murder. He had no choice but to stay and help clear him. With his lawyer brother, they found out just what had happened and who was responsible.

Pulling the van through the gates of the Vineyard, he drove down the long road that led to the house. When he reached the circular drive way, he parked the van in front, and turned off the ignition. Ironside maneuvered his chair onto the van's lift, pressed the button and watched as the doors opened. After being lowered to the ground, he wheeled to the front door and rang the bell.

The door opened and Katherine looked at him. A smile broke across her face. "Robert!" She bent down and they kissed. "I didn't know you were back in town. Why didn't you call?"

"I just got in. I came as soon as I could get Commissioner Randall out of my office." He grinned at her. "Well, aren't you going to invite me in?"

Katherine stepped back. "Of course I am. You had me momentarily stunned."

"Good. I am happy to know I was missed." Ironside wheeled into her home as she shut the door behind them.

"You are always missed and you are just in time for dinner," she told him.

"I'm a big eater. Are you sure there is enough for two?" he asked her.

"I always make enough in case you stop by," she smiled. "Make yourself a drink, Robert. I will put dinner on the table.

Ironside wheeled over to the liquor cabinet and poured himself a glass of bourbon. He poured a second glass with Katherine's favorite wine. He was looking forward to a relaxing evening with her. She had become the center of his life.

2.2

Benito Corneilo looked at the telephone, for what had to be the twentieth time in the past hour. What was taking Dante Domenico so long to locate Ava. He had had another terrible fight with his lady. There seemed to be more of them lately. Why couldn't she just accept him for who he was. He had given her everything; a beautiful place to live, furs, jewelry, and all the money she could possibly spend. That woman was never satisfied. She would just not stop nagging him about the business.

He was not about to give up the empire he had built, for a woman. What would he do? Where did she think all of those expensive things she had grown so fond of came from? Dames... why did men have to be cursed with them? He knew the old saying, _You can't live with them and you can't live without them._

There was a knock on the door. Benito walked over and opened it. Dante Domenico walked past him with out saying a word. Unlike Benito, who was only five feet nine and small in stature, Dante Domenico was a big man. He stood at least six feet two inches tall and was built like a tank. He had a long, menacing face and a voice that could scare the devil himself.

Dante went over to the couch and sat down. "Is there anything to drink, Boss?"

Benito poured his right-hand man a drink and handed it to him. "Where's Ava?"

Without looking at the mobster, Dante took another swig of his whiskey and said, "We lost her."

"You what? How could you lose her?"

"She had some help," Dante said, finishing his drink. He stood up, walked over to the window and looked out. "We followed her into the DNA Lounge. She was sitting at the bar drinking. She had the usual number of wolves hovering around her, which she turned down, by the way."

"She damn well better have," Benito said angrily.

Domenico ignored his boss' display of temper and walked over to the bar. He poured himself another glass of whiskey. Turning back to Corneilo, he decided it was time to be frank with him. "Why don't you just dump her and find another woman. They are a dime a dozen. You can pick up any one of them in a bar."

Benito moved so fast that Dante did not even see him approach. He knocked the glass out of Domenico's hand. The whiskey splattered all over the floor as the glass shattered when it hit the floor. "I don't want any other woman and no woman leaves me. When I am done with them, I will let them know." He reached up, grabbed Dante by the throat. "Tell me what the hell happened!"

Dante looked down at the hand that was squeezing his throat. He knew if he wanted to, he could crush the little man cutting off his air. The problem was, he was scared of him despite being so much bigger than he was. Benito had a lot of people that were loyal to him. He could easily have him killed and would do so with no regrets, if he crossed him.

Domenico attempted to loosen the hold Corneilo had on his throat. "Alright, Boss, take it easy. It was just a suggestion. That dame is driving you crazy."

Benito let go of him and stepped back. "I am sorry, Dante. I know you mean well. I don't want to give her up. She just needs to be put in her place, that's all. Once she realizes what her place is, I will have no more trouble with her."

"Boss, can I say something without getting belted in the mouth?"

Corneilo nodded his head. "Yea, go ahead."

"I know you are stuck on her, but if you don't watch it, she is going to be your downfall... especially now."

With a quick turn of his head, Corneilo growled, "What the hell are you talking about... especially now? What happened?"

"That is what I was trying to tell you." He rubbed his throat for emphasis. "Like I said, she was ignoring all the guys trying to hit on her until this one guy walked up to the bar. I saw her smiling at him. They were talking and drinking together. When she saw us, she and this guy went out the back. By the time we caught up with her, she had gotten into his car and they drove away."

"Why the hell did you not follow them?" Benito roared.

"Because he would have known we were following and he is the kind of guy you don't want knowing you are tailing him."

Benito stared at him for a moment. "What is that supposed to mean? Who was this guy?"

"Ed Brown," he answered.

"What? Ed Brown... you mean Ironside's Ed Brown?"

"That's the one. Now do you see why I did not follow them. Brown is a pro. He would have known. I did not figure you would want us to attract his attention. If we attract his attention, then we..."

"Attract Ironside's attention," Benito finished for him. He patted Dante's cheek. "You did the right thing. I don't want to tangle with Ironside."

"Now you see why I think you should dump her?"

Benito pulled out another glass, filled it with whiskey, and handed it to Domenico. "I am not going to dump her. Brown is asking for trouble if he doesn't stay away from her."

Dante sighed. "She isn't worth it, Boss."

The mobster turned on his top man and snarled. I will decide whether or not she is worth it. Brown doesn't know she belongs to me and I doubt that she will tell him. She is smarter than that. I want you to give Brown a friendly warning. Tell him to stay away from her."

"How friendly?"

Benito looked him in the eye and said, "Short of putting him in the hospital. Don't do the job yourself. I can't take the chance that he knows who you are. Send three or four boys he won't know. Do it as soon as you can find him alone. Is that clear?"

"Yes, that's clear. Now what about Senator Murdock. What are we going to do about him?"

"Murdock's days are numbered. We will discuss that later. Right now, I want Brown warned. And Dante, I don't want Ironside snooping around us, so make sure he does not become suspicious."

"What about Ava?" Dante asked.

"She needs a warning too. It is time I put her in her place. Bring her to me. That is one warning I will issue myself."

2.3

Ed Brown pulled his car in front of Ava Blake's apartment building. "I told you I would see you home." He smiled at her.

Ava smiled back at the detective. She knew she should end everything right there, but there was something about the man she could not resist. She was so tired of Benito Corneilo, who bullied her all the time and treated her like she was a slave. Sure, he spent a lot of money on her, and at first it was overwhelming, but the price she had to pay was too high. He never treated her in the tender manner this man was doing. Even when Benito made love to her, he was rough and took what he wanted with no regards to her needs.

She was wrong to become involved with Benito, she knew that now. It was time to move on. She could go without the furs, the jewelry and the money. If she had learned one lesson in the entire affair, it was that material things were not what made you happy. She heard a voice say, "Would you like to come in for a nightcap?" She realized it was hers. She knew this was a bad idea, bringing Ed Brown into this whole mess, but she was enchanted with the man. He treated her like a lady. He had not tried to force himself on her like so many man did. He let her make up her own mine. This man was a gentleman... the kind you bring home to meet your parents.

"Are you sure it would be no bother?" Ed wondered. This woman was upset about something. He wondered why she had men following her. Ed thought the one looked familiar but it was hard to tell in that club. It was so dark and they were quite a ways away from them. One thing for sure, Ava had been scared of them. Maybe if he accepted her offer of a nightcap, she would open up to him. He was a cop after all. It was his duty to help those in need. Ed wondered if he was only kidding himself. She was a beautiful woman and he rarely got to spend time with any women, let alone with one as beautiful as this one. The chief kept him far to busy.

"It is no bother at all, Sergeant. Please do come in," she said.

Ed smiled. "Under one circumstance."

She looked across the car at the handsome detective and inquired, "What would that be?"

"You start calling me Ed and drop the Sergeant Brown."

She laughed what Ed thought was a delightful sound. "You are on, Ed." She reached for the door handle when Brown took her other hand.

"No you don't. Wait right here." He got out of the car, sprinted around it and opened the door.

Ava Blake placed one leg out and set her foot on the ground. Ed Brown got an eye full of a very shapely leg. He took her hand and helped her out of the car. Ava placed her arm in his and they strolled into the building. She was going to enjoy this handsome gentleman. She would make an impression on him, he would not soon forget. This was the type of man a woman had a future with.

2.4

Senator Murdock looked over the paperwork in front of him. His aide was sitting at his desk pouring over records of the San Francisco Police Department. Jodi Parker glanced over at her boss. She just did not understand this obsession the senator had with the the SFPD. If he was going to pick a police department to investigate to make a name for himself, why on earth would he pick that one? Robert Ironside was famous for his criminal detection abilities. He had solved more crimes, and put more criminals behind bars than any police officer in the state of California; probably in the entire country.

Yet, the more Jodi thought about it, the more it was beginning to make sense. If he could show that the mob had been operating under the nose of Chief Ironside, he could be the senator to prove that the San Francisco Police Department was incompetent... including Ironside, himself.

But why tangle with Ironside? Jodi somehow doubted that Senator Murdock would be able to prove that particular detective was not doing his job. Then again, maybe it was not Ironside he was going after. Maybe he was trying to prove his staff was incompetent. Oh, just when she thought she had it all figured out, she just became more confused. Maybe it was time to just come right out and ask the senator. "Sir, just exactly what are we looking for?"

Senator David Murdock looked up from his paperwork. He hesitated, and just for a moment, Jodi suspected that he did not even know, himself.

"The crime rate has gone up in San Francisco in the last three months and ..."

"But it has gone down overall this year by eleven percent from last year, and six percent from the year before," she interrupted the ambitious politician.

He frowned at her, as if he did not care to be reminded of that pesky little fact. "That is not important, Jodi. It is on the rise and it is because of Benito Corneilo and his organization, that it has done so. Mark my words, it is going to continue to go up. The police in San Francisco have lost control of the city."

Jodi put her paperwork down and walked over to the senator. "That is not necessarily so, Sir. You know that statistics can go up and down. It is the over all percentage that is important, and that is going down every year in that city. They have the best detective in the country working there. His office has..."

"Please! I don't need a lecture on Robert Ironside. He was good in his day, but he is slipping. He has allowed Benito Corneilo to run his criminal enterprise unchecked."

"But Sir, it takes time for a police department to build a case against someone like Corneilo. You know that. You were a prosecuting attorney. "

"Ironside is taking far to long. He should retire. He has lost his touch," the senator said.

Jodi shook her head. "I think President Whitmore would disagree with you on that one."

He let out a disgusted snort. "Whitmore would not have a clue about these kind of things. Besides, Ironside just got lucky in Washington."

"You can't possibly believe that. He brought down all those politicians with his investigations and..."

Senator Murdock waved his hand in dismissal. "It was the lawyer that solved the whole thing. Ironside just got the credit."

"I can't believe you actually believe that," she said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Not only do I believe it, but I am going to prove that Ironside's days are over."

Jodi pushed the paper over to the edge of the footstool her boss had been working on, and sat down. "Look, Sir, it is my job to tell you when I think you are making a mistake and I believe you are. Robert Ironside is no dummy. He will figure out what you are up to. I disagree with you that he has suddenly become incompetent. His record indicates otherwise. Besides, he is not the kind of man you take on and tangle with."

"He's just a bully, Jodi. I know how to handle a bully. Believe you me, when we get done, we will prove that Benito Corneilo has been operating in San Francisco under his nose, and it is his fault that crook has got a foothold there. I intend to bring Corneilo down. Then we can force Commissioner Randall to close down Ironside's office."

"He is not going to roll over just because you say so. Many people have gone up against him and he has always come out on top. This is a mistake, Senator. You could end up being the one that looks incompetent."

Murdock was not deterred. "If I can prove Ironside was lax in controlling the mafia in San Francisco, then I have him. You must understand, the way to move ahead is to bring down the successful and the prominent. We could blame it on the city council, but that would not get the headlines. Even blaming Commissioner Dennis Randall would not get them either. But, blaming it on Ironside, the city's most famous son... now that gets headlines."

"I think you are in for a big disappointment, Senator. Ironside is a good cop, a very clever one. He is never lax. He is not going to let you target him. He is more then likely to bring you down."

Murdock, showing a bit of irritation with his aide, growled. "You just keep your nose in the San Francisco police records and let me do the thinking."

2.5

The next morning Sergeant Ed Brown left the apartment of Ava Blake. He did not notice the two cars parked down the street, one at each end. One man got out of the vehicle closest to the apartment building and went in. Three men from the vehicle closest to Brown got out of the car and began to walk towards the San Francisco detective.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 3

3.1

Eve Whitfield entered Ironside's office. She had slept extremely well the night before, completely uninterrupted sleep. How often did that happen? She felt refreshed! Ready to face another day. She walked swiftly down the ramp and headed for the main table, where her boss was already sitting.

"Good morning, Chief!" she said, cheerfully. She looked around. Mark was in the kitchen preparing breakfast for the head of the special crime unit. Ed Brown was nowhere in sight. That was unusual. Ed was nearly always in the office ahead of her. He lived closer to the office than she did, but that was not really the reason. Ed was an early riser and he strived never to disappoint the chief. Not that Eve didn't, Ed was just more intense than she was.

"Good morning," Ironside answered gruffly. He continued to stare at the paperwork in front of him.

"Where's Ed," Eve asked.

Ironside looked at his watch. "He's late. I have no idea where he is; he has not called in."

Mark came out of the kitchen and placed a cup of coffee in front of the detective and handed one to Eve. Heading back into the kitchen, he lifted the eggs and bacon out of the frying pan, and set them on the plate he had pulled from the cupboard earlier. The young man reached into the refrigerator and removed the orange juice. He filled a glass, picked up the plate and juice, and returned to the table. Setting it in front of the boss, Mark then returned to the kitchen and brought back the salt and pepper shakers.

"Eggs again?" Ironside complained.

"You have not had eggs in over a week," Mark countered.

Eve smiled. This exchange took place on a regular basis whenever Mark served eggs to the chief. She did not understand why Mark even bothered to cook them, when he knew the boss was not fond of them to begin with.

Ironside tossed the paperwork he had been reading to Eve and began eating his breakfast. "Senator Murdock's demands."

Eve sat down and started reading the information the chief had given her. Ironside watched his policewoman, as she read through the list Murdock had faxed to his office. Officer Whitfield's eyes widen as she said, "He has to be kidding. Does he really expect us to provide him with twenty police officers around the clock?"

"Yes!" Ironside and Mark said at the same time.

"He wants our police cruisers to transport all of his people?" Eve questioned in disbelief.

"Politicians," Ironside said in disgust. "That is not all he wants, read on."

Eve's voice raised as she read aloud. "He wants this office under the control of his security team? We are going to be taking orders from them?" She dropped the paper down on the table. "Chief, you are not going to do all this, are you?"

"Of course not. Have you ever known me to give into the demands of any politician?" He shoveled more eggs into his mouth and washed them down. He picked up his coffee cup and set it back down when a thought hit him. "We will provide reasonable police protection which this office will coordinate. You will be taking your orders from me, and Senator Murdock's security team will be taking orders from us. If he doesn't like the way I run his security, he can do it himself and without us."

Eve and Mark smiled. If President Whitmore could not push their boss around, they should have realized Senator Murdock was not going to either. He was a lightweight compared to the president.

Ironside looked at his watch again. "Where in the flaming hell is Ed?"

3.2

Sergeant Ed Brown walked towards his vehicle. He would have to thank the chief for an uninterrupted night off... and what a night it was! He had finally met someone that held possibilities. Not since Anne had he felt this strongly about anyone. Ava had, in one night, turned his world upside down! He had his work. It had always been important to him. Working for Chief Ironside was undoubtedly a tough job. He was demanding, but he was also loyal to those around him. Yet, since Anne, there was a void in his life that had never been filled. There had been several women he had hoped would develop into a relationship, but nothing had.

Last night there had been an immediate connection with Ava. Ed had felt it and he was sure that she had. He glanced down at his wrist. His watch was not there. He must have left it in Ava's house. Brown was sure he was already late for work, and the chief expected his staff to be on time, unless they had a valid reason for being late. Ed did not think the chief would consider this a valid reason. He was not looking forward to telling him why he was late for work. A lot of officers would just make something up that sounded more excusable, but Ed had too much respect for the chief to lie to him.

As Brown approached his car, he put his key in the door. He had been so distracted by his thoughts of Ava, that he did not hear the three men come up behind him. One of them pushed a gun into the middle of his back.

"Easy Brown. Play your cards right and you will come out of this alive."

Ed put his hands up in surrender. There was nothing he could do for the moment. The man reached under Brown's suit jacket and removed his service revolver. "Move!"

Two other men came forward, one on each side of the sergeant. Both took him by his arms and led him to an awaiting vehicle. There was a man waiting by the back door of the car. When they approached, one of the men went around to the side and got into the back of vehicle. Another pushed Ed into the back seat and then got in beside him. The third man got into the front passenger seat. The driver returned to his position behind the wheel. He started the car and pulled it into the street.

Ed's mind was racing. He did not recognize any of these men. He had no idea what this was all about. He had worked hundreds of cases with the chief. Any one of dozens of them could have caused him enemies. Usually though, the criminals always took it out on Chief Ironside. Ed was not usually the object of their revenge.

"What do you want with me?" Ed asked, attempting to extract information from one of them.

"Just shut up, Brown. You will know soon enough."

The man on Ed's left suddenly threw a black hood over his head. He instinctively fought against it, but soon was slugged on the jaw, knocking him into the other man.

"I told you you would come out of this alive if you played your cards right. Don't attempt to deal from the bottom of the deck. Now, just sit there and behave yourself. You can't stop the inevitable. So, just take it like a man."

Ed said nothing more. This was not the time. He would have to wait until an opportunity presented itself.

Thirty minutes later the vehicle started to slow. It rolled over what Brown knew was gravel. Finally, it returned to a paved surface and came to a stop. The sergeant heard what sounded like a large door being automatically lowered.

The car doors opened and all of the men got out of the vehicle. Ed felt two of the men drag him out of the car. He was walked a distance from the vehicle and one of the men jerked the hood from his head. Sergeant Brown looked into the faces of the four men that had brought him there. There were three more men standing in front of him. Seven men in all. Brown knew he was in big trouble. He could handle himself one on one quite well, two on one, even three on one. However, seven against one was more than his training had taught him to take on in a fist fight.

"Now that you have me here," he looked around, "where ever here is, will you mind telling me what this is all about?"

Nobody said anything until one man stepped forward. "Sergeant Brown, you have been a very bad boy. Your actions have been brought to the attention of our boss. He is very unhappy with you."

"Who is your boss? And what have I supposedly done?"

The man smiled. "Let's just say you are playing on the wrong playground. And when you get into someone's sandbox without an invitation, you are bound to get yourself in trouble."

Ed had no idea what he was talking about. "Why don't you just tell me what I have done to anger your boss, instead of talking in riddles."

"You are playing with fire, Brown. Now you are going to get burned."

"What are you talking about?"

"Yesterday, Brown. You can spend all the time you want thinking about it when we are done with you." The man turned to the others and nodded.

The two men closest to him returned to his side and grabbed his arms. They backed him to the wall of what appeared to be a very big warehouse. Ed tried to fight them, but both men were taller and outweighed him by more than twenty pounds each. Two more men joined them. They stood in front of him. One of them doubled his fist and slugged Ed in the stomach, completely knocking the wind out of him. As he began to drop, the men holding him lifted him up.

Another blow to his stomach had Ed gasping for air. He barely had time to draw in a breath, when the second man slammed a fist into his jaw. The world began to spin with another blow to the stomach... then another... and another... and another. Then he was hit in the face several times.

Ed slumped to the floor in pain as he gasped for air to refill his lungs. His stomach hurt, and he was certain he had either bruised or broken ribs, from poorly place blows to his mid-section.

"That's enough, boys. We don't want to kill him. Throw him in the back seat of the car and we will dump him off."

While Corneilio's men were pounding on Sergeant Brown, another man had knocked on Ava Blakes' door. When she opened it, the man shoved his way into her home.

With panic in her voice Ave shouted, "Who are you and what do you want?"

"The boss is very upset with you. You have been playing around behind his should know better, Ava. Now I have to teach you a lesson," he said.

Benito must have been having her followed. She had to get out of there. Fearing for her life, Ava ran towards the rear entrance. If she could get out of the house, she could yell for help. She did not get more than four or five steps when Cornelia's thug grabbed her.

"You are not going to get away, lady, so you may as well stand here and take it." He chuckled at the fear he saw in her eyes. With the back of his hand, he slapped her across the face as hard as he could. Ave lost her balance and fell backwards. The thug grabbed her to break her fall. He held on to her as he slapped her over and over again.

Meanwhile, the driver of the car that Ed was in, slowed as it began passing police headquarters. The door opened and Brown was pushed out of the moving vehicle onto the cement sidewalk. He rolled a few times and remained still on the pavement, as the car sped away.

Several onlookers surrounded the man and looked down at him. None of them did anything about the injured detective, until one woman pushed her way past the crowd. She looked at Ed, knowing he needed medical attention immediately. She left him, pushed her way past the crowd and ran into police headquarters.

Approaching the desk, she called out, "There is an injured man laying on the sidewalk outside! He needs help now!"

Having heard the woman, several officers took off out the door. They backed the crowd away and turned the man over. "Oh my God, it's Ed Brown!" one officer exclaimed. He turned to another officer and said, "Go inside and call Chief Ironside, and call an ambulance."

At the mention of Ironside's name, the woman perked up. "Chief Ironside? Chief Robert Ironside?"

The officer looked at her and replied, "Yes. Do you know him?"

She looked down and answered, "Yes, I know him but I didn't realize he worked in this building. I thought he was in the Hall of Justice building."

"No, he's on the top floor of this building. He lives here," the officer informed her. He is going to want to talk to you, Miss... what did you say your name was?"

"Watson... Anna Watson," she told him.* "Who is that man?" she asked, pointing at the injured detective.

"That's Sergeant Ed Brown, he works for the chief."

Anna felt a pang of panic. That meant that Robert would be coming down here. She was not sure she was ready to see him again. "Well, I will be going now."

The officer stepped in front of her. "I think you better wait until the chief gets down here. He is going to want to talk to you."

"But, I don't know anything. I simply saw him there and went inside to get help," Anna protested.

"Just the same, I am going to ask you to wait until Chief Ironside has had a chance to talk to you."

Anna's heart was racing. She just was not prepared to see him again. She still remembered that night as if it were last night. She had come upon Robert Ironside's van in the ditch, on her way home. Anna had been surprised to discover that the driver of the vehicle was a wheelchair bound individual. She was even more surprised to find out that he was a police detective.

Anna had taken a liking to the detective from the moment she had met him. He had spent the night with her, and when he left in the morning, she hurt badly, knowing she would probably never see him again. That had been such a long time ago and much had happened since. She had followed him through the newspapers and television. She realized he was a legend in criminology. Not a day had gone by when he had not haunted her thoughts and dreams. Now, she was going to come face to face with him once again. Anna just wanted to crawl into a hole somewhere so he would not notice her.

Upstairs in the special crime unit, the boss was becoming concerned over the lateness of his detective. Ed Brown was never late, well never without making a call into the office. And he had not done that. Chief Ironside kept his poker face for he knew that both Eve and Mark were sensitive to his moods. He did not want to let on to them that he was worried about Ed. He glanced down at his watch again. Ed was nearly two hours late and they had not heard from him.

The phone rang. Eve grabbed it and announced, "Chief Ironside's office... Is he alright?... " Ironside wheeled over to the phone at the desk where Eve was conversing. Mark immediately joined them. ..."We will be right down." Eve hung up the phone.

"What is going on?" Ironside demanded.

"It's Ed. He was dumped out of a car. He was beaten up, Chief," Eve told him, worry written all over her face.

"Where is he?"

"Downstairs. They dumped him in front of the building. A woman came in to get help. There is an ambulance on the way."

"Let's go!" Ironside had turned his chair and wheeled up the ramp. Mark stepped behind him and pushed his chair upward. The three of them hurried to the elevator. As soon as they had cleared the door, Ironside hit the button to the ground floor.

Chief Ironside was sure the elevator was moving slower than normal. All he wanted to do was to get to Ed and it seemed it was taking forever. Finally, the doors opened, and Ironside grabbed both sides to pull himself through. It had not been necessary as Mark began pushing immediately.

Wheeling past curious police officers, Mark headed for the door as fast as he could push his boss. As they exited the building, Ironside looked to his left where a crowd had gathered. He could not see Ed. He looked back at Eve. "Clear these people off the sidewalk, now!" he growled.

Eve headed into the crowd to find officers to help. They immediately began moving the crowd away from Ed Brown. The sound of the ambulance grew louder as it finally arrived in front of Police Headquarters.

Ironside wheeled over to his downed officer. His heart sank when he saw his swollen, red face. He had regained consciousness. He half-smiled when he saw his boss approach.

"Sorry... I am.. late, Chief."

"Don't talk, Ed. There will be time for that later."

The ambulance personnel worked on Ed for a few minutes; they set him on the stretcher and wheeled him over to the awaiting ambulance.

"Where are you taking him?" Ironside asked.

"San Francisco General" they replied. One paramedic climbed in with Ed and shut the door. The other two got back into the vehicle. Ironside watched as it roared down the street.

"Chief?" Mark questioned. He did not have to say anything else for the chief to know what was on his mind.

"We are all going to the hospital. Find Eve and let's get the blazes out of here."

As Mark left, an officer approached Chief Ironside. "Sir, the woman that reported that Ed was out here is still here. I held her back until you could have a chance to talk to her."

"Where is she?"

"I'll get her." The officer left Ironside and returned a few minutes later.

Anna Watson's heart started pounding as Robert Ironside came into view. "Do you remember me, Robert?"

Ironside smiled as memories flooded his mind.

TBC...

*The Anna Watson character is the creation of bluesybelge. With her permission, I have brought Anna back to life. She will hang around for at least another chapter. Anna is from bluesybelge's excellent story, "Fortunate Encounter." It made such an impression on me that I have re-read it more than a dozen times over! If you have not read it, I highly recommend it. It is a well written story that will most definitely touch your heart.

Thank you, bluesybelge for allowing me to breathe a little life into Anna. I hope this will inspire you to write another story about Anna and Ironside.


	4. Chapter 4

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 4

4.1

When Anna saw the smile on Robert Ironside's face, her heart melted. He wheeled forward and took her hand. "Anna, sweet Anna." He kissed the back of her hand. "You were the one that informed the police Ed was out here?"

For a moment, Anna said nothing. What was it about this man that turned her to putty? Anna Watson had always been a strong, self sufficient woman, but seeing him again made her go weak at the knees.

"Yes, Robert. Everyone was standing around him, doing nothing. I ran inside and told the police. I did not know he worked for you."

"Chief!" Mark called out. He was standing in front of the van. In the confusion, he had gone back into the police garage and brought out the chief's vehicle.

Ironside turned his head to see Mark, waiting for him. He turned to Anna. "I am going to have to ask you to join me. I will see to it that you are brought back here or taken where ever you need to go."

Anna did not say anything, she just followed Ironside back to his van. She took one look at the vehicle and remembered the night she found this very van in a ditch. Robert had driven into it, trying to avoid hitting a deer.

As they approached the van, Mark had pushed the button and the lift had been lowered to the ground. Ironside turned his chair around and backed onto the lift. "Climb aboard," he said to Anna.

Anna Watson stepped onto the lift and Mark pushed the button once again. With her hand on Ironside's shoulder, she was lifted into the air along with him. He backed into the van and moved his wheelchair towards the back. "Alright, Mark. Take us to the hospital."

Mark pulled the van into traffic and headed for San Francisco General. Eve glanced into the back of the van. She wondered who this woman was. She was dressed in blue jeans, with a light blue blouse and a blue jean jacket. She was wearing cowboy boots and a hat. Eve had never seen Chief Ironside with her before, but the tenderness that her boss was treating the woman indicated that he knew her. Besides, there was the spark of recognition in that smile he displayed when he first saw her. At least it appeared that way. Eve did not know for sure, as she had just been coming out of the building when she saw the police officer approach Ironside, the woman with him.

The fact that the chief had moved to the back of the van only re-enforced her belief, as it was apparent he wanted privacy. Eve averted her eyes from the rear view mirror. As curious as she was, she had to shut them out and allow her boss the privacy he obviously wanted.

As Mark raced towards San Francisco General Hospital, Ironside once again took Anna's hand. With a gentle smile, he looked into her face. She was a very beautiful woman whom, whether she knew it or not, had opened a very important door for him. He felt a pang of guilt. He had fully intended to call her after the night they had spent together, but the situation had changed when Barbara had appeared back into his life at Commissioner Randall's cabin. Once he and Barbara were back together, it did not seem appropriate to contact Anna. Even after he and Barbara called it quits, he was not in the frame of mind to call her.

Now the situation was even more impossible. He had met Katherine. They had been seeing each other for a while now and it had been a very satisfying relationship for both of them. He loved Katherine. Yet, Anna stirred something in him, even now.

Anna Watson interrupted his thoughts. "How have you been Robert?"

Ironside smiled at her. "I have been well, Anna. Very busy. Crime doesn't take a holiday in this town." He ran his hand down the side of her cheek. "You are as lovely as ever. What brings you to San Francisco?"

His touch felt like fire. She really didn't realize, despite thinking of him often, how much she had missed him. "There are no stores out where I live. I often come into town to shop."

"What were you doing near Headquarters? There are no shops in this area," Ironside said.

Anna knew he was right. Had she self consciously ended up in front of police headquarters? No, that could not be. She did not know that Robert Ironside lived on the top floor. She thought he worked at the hall of justice. Isn't that what she told the police officer? But was it the truth? Had she not read in the papers that Chief Ironside lived at police headquarters? Maybe, she just wanted to see him again. Even if she did, he obviously did not want to see her again. He had never called her after that wonderful night they had spent together.

"I ate at a restaurant down the street."

Ironside studied her for a moment. He wondered why she was in the area. He could read indecision in her eyes. Had she come to see him? She was having trouble maintaining eye contact with him. Maybe she was embarrassed. After all, they had what amounted to a one night stand. No, it was much more than that, at least to him. Her presence here had to mean that it was also much more than that to her.

They remained silent for a while, each struggling with what to say to the other. One wondering what had led her here to him and the other wondering how he was going to tell her about Katherine. Neither wanting to hurt the other.

Not another word was said between them the rest of the way to the hospital. Mark announced they had arrived, after which, he parked the van in a handicapped parking space.

"Please, Anna. Come inside. As soon as I check on Ed, I think we need to talk," he said softly.

Anna said nothing but nodded. She watched as Ironside was lowered to the pavement. This time, she got out of the back of the van and joined him on the other side. As Mark came around the front of the van, he noticed he had lost his job to this mysterious woman, as she stepped behind Ironside's chair, and began pushing him towards the emergency entrance.

Anna pushed the police detective inside. Ironside then began to wheel himself to the emergency desk. He pulled out his badge and showed the attendant his police credentials. "My name is Ironside. They just brought one of my officers in."

The hospital employee smiled at him and said, "Yes, Chief. They have taken Sergeant Brown to a treatment room. We were informed he was one of your men. The doctor told me to tell you to have a seat. He will be out as soon as he can access Sergeant Brown's condition."

Ironside picked up his badge and nodded. He looked over at Anna and motioned for her to join him in the waiting area.

Eve and Mark had already gone over and sat down. Both of them were watching their boss intently. "Who is she, Mark?" Eve asked.

"I don't know. I have never seen her before but the chief seems to know her."

"I get the feeling he more than knows her," Eve said, still watching the chief with Anna.

Mark shrugged. "She has never come around the office. But then, the chief doesn't confide in me about women."

"She's a few years younger than he is," Eve noticed.

Mark glance back at them. "Maybe she is somebody he has helped in the past. The chief likes to put on that tough exterior, but he has a soft spot for people who need help."

Eve slowly shook her head. No... that isn't it. Look at the way he looks at her. She is more than just a casual acquaintance."

"Look, man, it's really none of our business and he seems to be keeping her away from us," Mark said.

Eve's expression changed. "You are right. It is none of our business." She looked out the window and decided to sit back and wait for word on Ed.

4.2

Commissioner Dennis Randall opened the door to his office and stepped into the outer office. Linda, his secretary, looked up at him. With the phone receiver at her right ear, she held up her index finger, indicating for the commissioner to wait.

Randall could tell by the conversation that it had something to do with Ironside's office. He waited until she completed the conversation. As soon as she hung the receiver back into the cradle, the commissioner asked, "What is going on, Linda? What is Bob up to now?"

"Nothing, Commissioner. It seems Ed Brown was beaten and dumped in front of police headquarters," she told him.

"Is Ed alright?" he asked, concerned.

"They took him to the hospital. Chief Ironside went with him."

"Get Bob on the phone for me."

Linda picked up the receiver and put it back down. "I knew you would want to talk to him, so I have already tried the van. No one answered. Then I tried the chief's cell phone and no one answered that."

"Oh why bother with his phone, he never answers it anyway," Randall grumbled. "Call Eve Whitfield. She is probably with him."

"Yes, Commissioner," Linda said. But as she was about to dial, the phone rang. Linda punched line two and announced, "Commissioner Randall's office."

"This is Senator Murdock. I want to speak with Commissioner Randall."

"One moment, Senator, I will see if Commissioner Randall is available."

Before she had the chance to push the hold button, the senator blurted, "He better be available. Ironside certainly isn't bothering to return my phone calls. Is there ever anyone in his office. What the hell is the city paying that man for?"

"One moment sir." He punched the hold button and looked back at Commissioner Randall. "Senator Murdock is demanding to talk to you."

Randall rolled his eyes. "With another list of demands, I would imagine. I have no doubt Bob threw his last set of demands in the wastebasket."

"I don't think so, sir. In fact, I don't think Chief Ironside has returned the Senator's call. He seemed upset with him," Linda informed him.

Randall shook his head. "He is not going to push Bob Ironside around. Leave him on hold for a few minutes and then put the call through. And keep trying to reach Chief Ironside." Randall turned around, went back into his office and closed the door.

Linda smiled. It looked like the good Senator was not going to push the commissioner around either... at least not until he complained to the city council.

Randall sat at his desk doing nothing, waiting for Linda to send the call through. Just as he requested, she kept the senator waiting for a few minutes before buzzing him.

When Randall pressed the intercom button, she said, "He is not very happy about being kept on hold. He is demanding to speak with you immediately."

Randall sighed. "Put him through." He waited a moment and picked up line one. With all the cheerfulness he could muster, he said, "Good morning, Senator. What can I do for you?"

"You can do something about Ironside to start with. I sent him over our list of what we need when we come to town and he has totally ignored me. I called nearly an hour ago and was forced to leave a message. He has not bothered to call me back," Senator Murdock snarled.

"One of Chief Ironside's men was injured. He went to the hospital to check on him," Randall explained.

"To the hospital? You must be kidding! When something as important as my security has not been settled!"

Randall kept his voice as even as possible when what he wanted to do was hang up on the man. Ed's life was far more important to Bob Ironside and, if Murdock had made such a statement to him, the chief would have exploded. He did not want the assignment of protecting the egotistical senator in the first place.

"I am sure Chief Ironside will call you as soon as he knows his sergeant is alright."

"I don't want to hear about his sergeant. I want my security finalized. Now, since he is not there, I will give you our requirements and you can give me your assurance that everything will be taken care of." As he was reading off his list of demands, Randall reached under his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose. There was no way Bob Ironside was going to do what the senator wanted. That, of course, meant that he was going to have to mediate a fight between Ironside and the senator. For if he didn't, there was no doubt the senator would try going over their heads to the mayor and the city council.

When the senator had finished, Randall broke the bad news to him. "I can't guaranty anything, Senator. Chief Ironside is in charge of your security, you will have to talk to him. However, I don't believe we have the manpower to provide you with twenty police officers around the clock, while you are here."

"You are going to have to, Commissioner. Do I have to remind you, you have a superior as well. I can go to the mayor."

"You need to talk with Chief Ironside. But, I warn you, he will handle your security as he sees fit."

"Well, we will see about that," the senator snapped. The line went dead.

Randall put the receiver back into the cradle. He punched the intercom again. "Linda, have you been able to reach Bob?"

4.3

Dante Domenico entered the living room of Benito Corneilo. The crime boss was reading the paper. He raised his eyebrows when Domenico walked in. He lowered them again and returned to his paper.

Dante walked over and sat down across from him. "Brown has been taken care of."

Corneilo dropped the paper in his lap. "And Ava?"

"Frankie roughed her up but didn't hurt her. She has a few bruises on her face and it is a bit swollen. Other then that, she is fine."

Corneilo nodded. "Brown... what did you do with him?"

"Dumped him in front of police headquarters?"

"I trust you did not have him beaten too badly," Benito said.

"His face is recognizable... well maybe a little. He probably has a few broken ribs but he will recover."

"Did you make sure they warned him not to go to Ironside?"

Dante kept a poker face. He had forgotten to mention that to the men, but he was not about to admit it. "Of course, he was warned. I can't guaranty he will heed the warning."

"He better or he will regret it. I don't want to mess with Ironside," Corneilo said. He got up and headed into the den. Domenico followed him.

"What are we going to do about Senator Murdock? Domenico asked.

"I want him taken out when he comes to San Francisco. You decide how and when."

"It might not be so easy," Dante warned.

"Why not? It is just a simple hit."

"Nothing is simple with Ironside involved," Dante said.

"Ironside? What does he have to do with it?"

"He has been put in charge of the senator's security."

"Damn it! I don't want you handling the hit then. Contact Antonio Delano from Las Vegas and have him come in and make the hit. He can disappear afterwards. Pay him well. I don't want him around where the police can find him. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly, I will arrange it."

4.4

The doctor came through the doors from the treatment rooms. He looked around the waiting room. After spotting Chief Ironside, he headed in his direction.

"Hello, Chief. It would be nice if I could see you under different circumstances. I would prefer you keep your people out of here."

"I would prefer it as well, Doctor. Now, how's Ed?" Ironside inquired.

"Well, as you know, he has suffered bruising on his face. He has some cuts, but none of them require any stitches. He has three broken ribs and has a slight concussion. He will recover completely."

Ironside breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing Ed was going to be alright, he asked the next question that was on his mind. "Can we talk to him?"

The doctor hesitated and then said, "Alright, but I am keeping him overnight for observation. Come this way."

Ironside turned to Anna. "Please wait for me here. I will take you to lunch so we can talk."

Anna smiled and nodded. She watched as Ironside wheeled away and disappeared through the door to the treatment rooms.

Mark wheeled his boss behind the doctor. Eve followed them. When they reached treatment room three, the doctor pulled the curtain back. Ed had regain consciousness. He was laying on the bed. He had an IV running into his wrist and oxygen running into his nose.

Ironside noticed the oxygen and turned to look at the doctor. "It is only to make it easier for him to breathe with those broken ribs," the doctor told him."

Ed turned his head and a small crooked smile appeared on his face. "Hi, Chief. Eve, Mark."

Chief Ironside wheeled up and rested his chair right next to Ed's bed. "What happened?"

Ed looked up at the ceiling. "I am not all that sure. When I was going to my car, two men came up behind me and stuck a gun in my back. I had no choice but to go with them. They forced me into a car and covered my head with a hood."

"Where did they take you?" Eve asked.

"It was some kind of warehouse. And before you ask, Chief, I don't know where and I don't think I could find it," Ed informed him.

"Then what happened?" Ironside asked.

"This." Ed pointed to his face.

"Why did they beat you?" Ironside inquired.

"I don't know."

"How many were there?" Mark looked down at his friend.

"About seven, I think," Ed answered.

"Did you recognize any of them, Ed?" Ironside demanded.

"No. They were taking orders from one guy. Didn't know him either."

"Didn't they give you any idea why they beat you?" Eve wondered.

Ed frowned. His ribs were paining and every breath cause more pain. "They said something about me playing in someone else's sandbox. I have no idea what that meant."

"So they attacked you outside your apartment?" Ironside tried to clarify.

"Well... not exactly," Ed replied.

Ironside detected that he was a bit embarrassed. He looked Ed in the eye and asked, "Who was she?"

"Who?" Ed responded.

"The woman you spent the night with?" Ironside asked.

Ed cringed. Was there anything the man could not detect. "I met her in a nightclub. She was a really nice lady. We hit it off. She said something about her ex-boyfriend stalking her, having men follow her. We left through the back door of the nightclub."

"You gave them the slip?" Mark said.

"Yea, that's right," Ed answered.

"Ed, who was she?" Ironside demanded.

"Her name is Ava Blake," Brown told his boss.

"I will check her out. Maybe the boyfriend is responsible for what happened to Ed," Eve offered.

Ironside sat silently, just looking at Ed. Brown noticed the look on his face. "What is it, Chief? Do you know who she is?"

"No, I don't know her but I know who the ex-boyfriend is. Benito Corneilo."

"The mobster boss?" Eve asked.

"The one and only," Ironside said.

4.5

Ironside wheeled out of the treatment rooms and re-entered the waiting room. Anna Watson stood up and faced him as he wheeled up to her. The chief looked back at Eve and Mark. "Mark, you and Eve take a cab back to the office. I will meet you there later. Start checking everything you can find on Benito Corneilo and Ava Blake. Find out who works for Corneilo. Let's see if we can tie any of his men to the beating they gave Ed."

He turned away from them in dismissal. After they left, Ironside took Anna's hand. "Come Anna, I will take you to lunch so we can talk."

Without saying a word, Anna nodded. She stepped behind Ironside's chair and pushed him out of the hospital.

TBC...

Sorry for the long delay. Real life sometimes has a way of taking front and center.

kaleen1212


	5. Chapter 5

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 5

5.1

Ironside pulled the van into a small cafe and shut off the engine. He sat there for a moment with out saying a word. He glanced at Anna Watson, who was sitting in the passenger seat beside him. She was staring out the window.

"Come on, Anna, let's go inside where we can talk." Ironside backed his wheelchair from the steering wheel and onto the lift. After he pressed the button to open the side door, he then pressed the button that would move the lift out of the van and lower his chair to the sidewalk below. Anna was waiting for him as he rolled his chair from the tray.

She stepped behind him and pushed him to the cafe entrance. Anna walked around Ironside to open the door. She stood there holding it until the detective had pulled his chair over the threshold. Anna waited for him to take the lead.

Ironside looked around the cafe. It was crowded. That was not something he had been expecting. Ordinarily, the small cafe did not begin to fill until much closer to the noon hour. He looked at his wrist watch. It was eleven o'clock. Glancing up at Anna, Ironside was about to suggest they go somewhere else when the owner approached them.

"Chief Ironside! What an unexpected pleasure! Please come in."

"Ramon, is there somewhere we can be seated that we will have some privacy?" the chief asked.

"Yes of course. Follow me." Ironside nodded at Anna to follow him as he wheeled his chair in the direction Ramon was taking them. He opened a door at the back of the cafe and held it open for the detective and his guest. Inside the room there were several more tables set up. It was decorated in the same manner as the rest of the cafe. "We use this room for small private lunch gatherings for local businessmen. It is rarely empty during the noon hour but we had a cancellation today. If it is satisfactory, you may dine in here."

"This is fine, Ramon," Ironside told him.

Sensing that Chief Ironside wanted complete privacy, Ramon led them to the back of the room. He removed one of the chairs at the table and pushed Ironside's chair up to it. He then pulled out a chair and seated Anna across from the detective.

"Can I get you something to drink?" the cafe owner asked them.

Ironside looked at Anna. "I'll have a lemonade."

"And you, Chief? What would you like to drink?"

"The same," he answered.

He set down menus in front of them both. "I will be back to take your order," Ramon left the table, leaving them alone.

"How have you been?" Ironside asked her.

She looked up at him. "Fine, Chief."

"Robert, please use my first name," Ironside told her.

She smiled at him and said, "Robert. And I trust you have been well. I know you have been busy since I last saw you. You have solved several important cases that have been in the newspaper lately."

"That is my job. That is what I do," Ironside said, brushing off her comment."

The waiter returned with their drinks. He set them down in front of them. "Are you ready to order?"

"I'll have a corn beef on rye," Anna told the waiter.

"I'll have the same," Ironside said.

After the waiter left their table, Ironside took her hand. "I really did mean to call you."

"But you didn't," Anna said. There was slight hurt displayed in her tone.

"No, I didn't," Ironside lifted her chin so that her eyes met his. "I was thrown into one case after another. Then Barbara, a woman I had been seeing before I met you, returned."

"And you are together today?" Anna asked, dreading the answer.

"No. She could not handle my job. She left me after Pierre Fougere kidnapped her and tied her to a bomb."

"Then why didn't you call me after she left?"

"I was not in any mood to call anyone, Anna. I would have been terrible company. It was bad enough that my staff had to put up with my moods. They had no choice because they work for me. I could not subject anyone else to me."

"I see." She looked away from him.

He waited until her eyes returned to his before continuing. "The more time that went by, the harder it became to call you with no explanation as to why I took so long. Then I met Katherine."

"Katherine?" Her heart sank.

He did not remove his eyes from hers. He owed her that. "Yes, she and I have been seeing each other for some time now."

"Oh," was all she said.

There sandwiches arrived. As they began eating, Ironside again took her hand. "I know I have hurt you and that was never my intention. I really did mean to call you. Circumstances allowed it to get away from me. I am not making excuses, only that... "

Anna interrupted him. "Katherine, are you in love with her, Robert?"

He knew his answer would hurt her but he had to be honest with her. "Yes, very much so."

Anna looked away from him. "I apologize for being so forward that night. I was just so attracted to you. I should not have..."

Ironside shook his head. "Don't apologize, Anna. I wanted that as much as you did. You have no idea what you did for me that night. It is because of you that I am able to really love again. You helped me past my own insecurities about my disability that I don't think anyone else could have done. I have you to thank for that. I will always be grateful to you. I will never forget how you helped me. I want you to know that."

Anna tried in vain to hold back the tears. When she had come into San Francisco, she had never intended to see Robert Ironside. He had been on her mind ever since that night they had spent together. She had run into him by accident. At least that is what she kept telling herself. Many times she had been tempted to call him, after he had left his card with his phone number on it. Yet, she had been unable to do so. She had to allow him to decide if he wanted to see her again. Anna wanted to make sure that if he did call, it was not out of guilt for having spent the night with her.

Now she wished she had made that call. He said he had intended to call her. He was a handsome, strong, successful man. Women were bound to notice him, regardless of that wheelchair. She should have known he would be consumed by his work. If only she had been as forward with him as she had been that night. But now it was too late. He had a woman in his life. As much as it hurt, Anna was happy for him. She would never regret that night, nor would she ever forget it. At least she had helped him to see past his disability, make him see that the wheelchair did not make him any less a man, where love and women were concerned.

Seeing him again certainly hurt but it had finally brought closure to a chapter in her life. She could now put Robert Ironside behind her. There was no chance for them to be together now, if he loved another woman. She no longer had to wonder "what if."

The self-sufficient, strong willed Anna Watson had finally returned. Maybe seeing him had not been such an accident after all. Anna had needed to understand, now she did.

She ran her hand down the side of his face. "Thank you."

Puzzled, he reached up and took her hand. Kissing the back of it, he asked, "What for?"

"For helping me to understand. I want you to know I will never forget you."

"Or I you," he said.

"I have no regrets," Anna told him.

Ironside smiled. "Neither do I. If you ever need me, you know where to reach me."

The tears disappeared from her eyes. "You do the same. Friends?"

"Good friends," he replied. "Come on, I'll take you back to your car."

Anna smiled at him and nodded. She could move on now. She was her own person. She knew what she wanted and she was capable of having it. She had a good life and Robert Ironside had made it just a bit better.

5.2

After dropping Anna off at her car, Ironside pulled the van into police headquarters. Once lowering his chair to the pavement, he headed for the elevator that would take him up the back way to his office/residence. When he reached the top floor, he wheeled up the ramp and entered his office.

Eve was on the phone. Ironside noted that she seemed to be politely arguing with someone. He glanced at his aide in the kitchen. "Mark, I could use a cup of coffee."

"Coming right up, Chief. How about a sandwich to go with it?" Mark asked.

"No thanks. I have had lunch" His attention was brought back to Eve who was discussing Senator Murdock's arrangements for visiting San Francisco.

"Senator, I am sorry but there is no way the city of San Francisco can spare that many officers for a protection detail. We have an obligation to the people of this city... "

Eve was silent for a minute. She rolled her eyes, cupped her hand over the mouthpiece of the phone, and directed her next remark to her boss. "Chief, this man is insufferable. Who does he think he is? The president of the United States? His demands are unreasonable."

"Put him on hold, Eve. I'll handle him," Ironside instructed.

"One moment, Senator. Chief Ironside has just entered the office," she told the politician.

Ironside punched the speaker on the phone and barked, "Ironside."

"Chief Ironside, is everyone in your office completely incompetent? I gave your officer a simple list of our needs while we are in San Francisco, and she says you are incapable of providing them. Since you can't seem to do anything about the organized crime in your city, I would think you could provide a few safety precautions."

"Officer Whitfield is an excellent officer. She was acting under my orders. We do not have the man power to provide you with twenty police officers around the clock, Senator. They are needed in the streets."

"Don't give me that, Ironside. You don't prevent crime in San Francisco anyway. In fact, I don't think your office is needed to begin with. The city can save themselves money by eliminating your office, force you to retire and reassign your staff where they will actually do some work," Murdock shouted.

Trying to remember the man was a senator and the city had an obligation to protect him, Ironside kept his temper in check. "We will provide you with two officers around the clock. When you are in transit, there will be eight more. That is the best I can do for you. You have security of your own as well. It should be ample."

"That's outrageous! Two officers! You have superiors, Ironside. I will go over your head!"

"Since you don't think much of my office, why don't you request that some other department handle your security."

"I don't want another department. I want yours! Since neither you or Commissioner Randall are taking this seriously, I will contact your mayor." The connection was cut off.

"He thinks this department should be eliminated but it is his choice for protection?" Eve questioned, shaking her head.

"I don't have time to concern myself with him right now. His security is set. I gave the schedule to the man in charge of the uniformed cops. He will be giving us a work schedule before the senator arrives. If he doesn't like it, he can stay in Sacramento.

"Eve, what did you find out about Corneilo and Ava Blake?"

"I haven't had much time to work on it, Chief. Ava Blake came to Benito Corneilo's attention when she started working for him. Apparently, she was reluctant to get involved with him."

"Not reluctant enough," Mark chimed in.

"He started buying her things, including the house she is living in," Eve reported.

"So he bought her," Ironside surmised.

"Until she discovered what he was really into. Then she started pulling away from him. She even offered to sign the house over to him... "

"But he refused," Ironside guessed.

"Right," Eve confirmed.

"Then enter the picture...Ed Brown," Mark said.

"And Corneilo is not the type of man that is going to let any woman walk away from him, especially for another man. Only he would decide when he was done with her," the chief added.

"I don't think there any doubt that it was a warning. It was what was meant about playing in someone else's sandbox," Eve added.

"Anything on who could have roughed Ed up," Ironside asked.

"Not yet but his right hand man is... "

"Dante Domenico," Ironside interrupted.

"That's right," Eve said with a smile. "For someone who has not done anything to stop organized crime, you sure do know a lot about the principals."

"Murdock does not know anything about stopping organize crime. These people are clever and they are ruthless. It takes time and patience to build a case against them. Corneilo is a murderer and a crook. We know that. But just because we know it; we cannot just pick him up and charge him without evidence. Knowing and proving are altogether two different things. You have to be patient and wait for him to make a mistake."

Ironside drank the last of his coffee and set the cup down. When Mark reached for the pot to refill his cup, he waved him off. "No thanks, Mark. I think we should pay a visit to Ava Blake. If we can get her to talk, we might be able to find out who roughed her and Ed up. Get them talking and we might have something on Corneilo." Ironside wheeled his chair around and headed for the ramp.

Mark grabbed his jacket and started to follow the chief and Eve when Ironside shouted over his shoulder. "You stay here, Mark. Ava Blake might benefit from the feminine touch.

5.3

Medical personnel roamed in and out of Ed's room at San Francisco General Hospital. With a stabbing pain in his side, Ed thought about Ava Blake. There was an attraction on both their parts. He had to see her again. But seeing her again would mean convincing her to accept Chief Ironside's help. Ed knew that was not going to be easy. Yet, if she did not accept it and free herself of Benito Corneilo, there would be no future for the two of them. As it was, he was not sure there would be anyway.

Ed knew his boss well enough that he would not approve of him pursuing a relationship with a woman that was tied to a mobster. He should let it go. It was bad enough that they had Senator Murdock on a one-man crusade against the San Francisco police department; accusing them of not doing anything about organized crime. It could proved to be an embarrassment to the chief if he continued to see Ava. The problem was Ed wanted to see her again.

"Ed, can I come in?"

Brown turned his head towards the door. Ava Blake stood there. His anger began to rise when he saw her swollen face, with bruises. He kept the anger to himself. "Yes of course, come in, Ava."

She walked in, pulled a chair over to the side of his bed but did not sit in it. Reaching with her hand, Ava ran it down the side of his face. She should not have involved him in her problems. What was she doing here? She should not have come. Yet, she could not stop herself. Something in his gentle way drew her in. She knew she already cared for this man. She wanted to spend time with him. He was much kinder than Benito. There was no comparison. This was the kind of man she wanted to be with. Gentle, considerate, and loving. She did not care that he was a policeman. She had had enough of men from the other side of the law.

"I am so sorry I brought you into this, Ed. I never meant for you to get hurt. I should have sent you away from me when you approached me in the bar. I never should have left the bar with you."

Brown smiled and took her hand. "I am glad you did. I really enjoyed the night we spent together. I would not change a thing. Well, maybe I would change the beating I took." He smiled at her again.

She looked away from him. "I think maybe we should not see each other. I don't want anything to happen to you." Tears filled her eyes.

Ed reached out and wipe the tears from her cheeks. "What kind of a man or policeman, for that matter, would I be if I did not help you. I have the resources to stop Benito Corneilo. I think I told you that I work for Chief Ironside. I have already told him what happened. He will help you. I will help you. Then we can start over again."

"You don't understand. If I see you again, Benito will kill you. I can't let that happen."

"He isn't going to kill anyone. The chief has been up against guys a lot tougher than Corneilo." He took her chin in his hand and turned her to face him. "I want to see you again but if I am going to do that, we have to get you away from Corneilo. The chief would frown on me seeing the girlfriend of a mobster."

"Ed, you are not listening, I can't... "

He touched her lips with his index finger. "No, you are not listening. Benito Corneilo may be powerful, but Chief Ironside is pretty powerful too, and he has a lot more men than Corneilo. He has the entire police force. You leave it to me. Let me set up a meeting with you and Chief Ironside. He will listen to you. He is the one man that can help you."

"But he would arrest me," she protested.

"Arrest you for what? You have not done anything. He could not arrest you for falling for Corneilo. There is no law against falling in love."

"Love, huh, I hate that man. He is a monster!"

"All the more reason to let us help you get away from him."

She sat there for a couple minutes before saying anything. When she did speak, Ed was pleased with what he heard. "You would still wish to see me?"

The sergeant smiled. "Of course I would. That is why I want you to see Chief Ironside."

She smile back at him. "Then call your chief."

Ed reached over to the stand on the hospital table. He picked up the phone and dialed Chief Ironside's office.

TBC...

Anna Watson is not one of my characters. She was borrowed, with permission, from the excellent fanfiction, "Fortunate Encounters" by bluesybelge. I thank her for allowing me to incorporate this excellent character into this fanfiction. It would benefit Ironside fanfiction readers if everyone would encourage bluesybelge to write more.


	6. Chapter 6

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 6

6.1

The lift whined as it lowered the big man to the cement in front of San Francisco General Hospital. From the handicapped spot that Mark Sanger had parked the van, Ironside wheeled off the tray. He glanced back to see his aide push the button to returned the tray into the van. Mark slammed the door and locked the vehicle. Stepping behind the former chief of detectives, he wheeled him towards the hospital entrance.

Ironside glanced down the street to see a dark colored sedan parked nearby. Two men were sitting in the front. He knew the type. He was being followed. Rather then let them know he had spotted them, Ironside ignored them and allowed Mark to wheel him inside the hospital.

As soon as they were out of sight of the two men, he reached down and stopped the forward progress. "Mark, we are being followed. Find a phone and call dispatch. Tell them to send an unmarked car. There is a sedan sitting to the left of the entrance with two men in it. Have them find out who the vehicle is registered to."

As Mark took off down the hall, Ironside continue on to the elevator that would take him to Ed Brown's room. He had not expected Ava Blake to visit Ed in his hospital room. He would have been more apt to believe that Benito Corneilo would have scared her with the beating she had given her, and that she would have never attempted to see Ed again. Hopefully this meant the woman was strong enough that she would help them nail Corneilo.

As Ironside approached Ed's door, Officer Duffy opened it and greeted the chief. "Hi, Chief. Ed is doing much better. I think they will probably release him in the morning."

Down the hall a man stood outside one of the hospital rooms. With a hat pulled low over his eyes and an open newspaper in front of his face, it made it impossible to see what he looked like. Ironside gave him only a casual look. He did not like the looks of him and liked even less that he was so close to Ed's room. Maybe the men in the vehicle had not followed him after all. He had to accept that it might be Ava Blake that they were watching. It would make sense. If Corneilo had beat her up out of jealousy, then he would not hesitate to have her followed to make sure she stayed away from his sergeant. He did not like the situation Ed Brown had gotten himself into. Ed was a smart cop. One of the smartest in the department. He should have known better than to get involved with the girlfriend of a mobster.

The chief really did not have room to criticize his sergeant and he knew it. When it came to women, until Katherine, of course, his own batting average left something to be desired.

Wheeling into Ed's hospital room, Ironside immediately spotted a very beautiful woman sitting beside Brown's bed. She stood up as the chief wheeled towards his detective.

"Hi, Chief," Ed said with a crooked smile. "Ava, this is my boss, Chief Robert Ironside."

Ava walked out around the bed to greet the new arrival. "Hello, Chief Ironside. I recognize you from the television and the newspapers." She offered her hand to the wheelchair-bound detective.

Ironside shook her hand gently and studied her face. It was bruised and swollen to match the one of Ed Brown. The two of them looked as if they had been through a war. With as much respect as he had for women, Ironside never could understand what kind of monster would beat a woman into this shape. At least Ed, as a man, could try to defend himself, but a woman? Most did not have the capabilities to defend themselves against one man let alone several.

"Miss Blake," Ironside returned with a gruffness that startled the young woman. He continued to study her. She fit the type that always attracted the young detective. She was tall and carried herself in a way that would turn the heads of most men. The long hair of brunette color and in particular the high cheek bones brought attention to a very beautiful face. Yes, there was no doubt Ed would have noticed this woman immediately.

"Sit down, Miss Blake. She pulled up a chair and sat beside the detective. Ironside caught the smile of reassurance that Ed gave her and she smiled back at him.

Ironside turned his head over his shoulder and called out, "Duffy! He barely got the officer's name out and the door open. The tall bulky policeman entered the room.

"Yes, Chief."

"There is a man down the hall," he said, using the index finger on his left hand to point in the direction he had spotted the man. "How long has he been standing there?"

"I noticed him just after this young lady entered Ed's room. He has been hanging around in the general direction ever since. I saw him go to the desk a couple times and ask the duty nurse something, but he returned to that spot each time."

"Oh no!" Ava exclaimed. "Benito is having me followed! He knows I have come to see Ed! I never should have come. I have to get out of here!"

She started for the door but Ironside nodded to Duffy who stepped in front of her and blocked her exit from the room.

Calmly, Ironside said to the woman, "Sit down, Miss Blake. Running away from a problem never solved anything."

"Chief, Corneilo is ruthless. If he knows she is here, she is in danger," Ed said.

"Not as long as she is with us. If that man is watching her, he is not alone. Sit down, Miss Blake," Ironside said firmly.

Ava Blake looked over at Ed who smiled and nodded. Ava went back to the chair that she had previously occupied and sat back down.

"How long have you been seeing Benito Corneilo," the chief asked.

"For a couple of years," she answered. "I met him in the same nightclub that I met Ed."

"Didn't you realize that he was a mobster?" Ironside looked her directly in the eye.

A little unnerved by the intensity of Ironside's glare, she looked away from him. "Not at first. You have to understand, he was very sweet and kind when I first met him. He bought me things. When he found out that I had lost my apartment, he set me up in a new place, much nicer than anything that I have ever had. He furnished it and gave me an allowance. He bought the car I am driving. He told me not to worry about it, he just wanted to help me.

"We started seeing each other on a regular basis. But he changed. He became possessive and constantly wanted to know where I was and who I was with. I couldn't breathe, Chief Ironside. I could not go anywhere without Benito's men following me around. They reported everything back to him. If he did not like what he heard, he went into a rage. He started slapping me around and if he didn't do it, then he had one of his men do it."

"Then this was not the first beating you took at his hands." It was not a question, it was a statement. Ironside glanced at Ed and then continued. "Did they follow you to the nightclub where you met Ed?"

"Yes, two of his men," she responded.

"What are their names?" Ironside demanded.

"I don't know. I had never seen these two men before. One of them was the same man that beat me up."

"Would you recognize him again if you saw him?"

"I will never forget that face. Yes, I would know him if I saw him again," she answered.

Ironside looked at Duffy. "Have a police sketch artist sit with Miss Blake. I want a likeness of this man done." Looking back at Ed, he said, "Ed, I want you to do the same with the men who roughed you up. Do the best you can. I especially want you to give a description of the man that seemed to be in charge."

"Okay, Chief."

"Miss Blake, what do you know about Corneilo's business?" Ironside asked.

"He tried to keep it from me but I began to hear and see things."

"What sort of things?" Ironside inquired.

"Little things. I heard him order different people beaten. Once he told one of his goons to get rid of some guy."

"Murder?"

"I don't know. I did not know who he was talking about so I don't know what he did to him. But that is not the main reason why I left. At the time, I did not think Benito was capable of murder."

"Something happened to change your mind?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"He did not know it but I was about to walk into his study when I heard him talking to one of his men. I did not want to disturb him, so I remained at the door. I don't know who he was talking to but I heard him order one of his men to kill some politician. He told him he did not want him to do the killing. He was to hire another man to do it."

Ironside glanced over at Ed before continuing his questioning. "Who was the politician, Miss Blake?"

"He was a senator. I am not sure of his name. I think it started with an 'M' "

"Murdock?" Ironside asked.

"Yes, that was it. Senator David Murdock," she confirmed.

"Did Corneilo tell this man who to hire to do the killing?"

"Yes, a man by the name of... " She hesitated as she tried to remember the conversation. "I did not hear his last name but his first name was Antonio."

"Delano," Ed said. "He is out of Las Vegas. Long suspected to be a hitman for the mob. Remember, Chief, he was suspected in the hit on the congressman from one of our districts but there was not enough evidence to prove it."

"Or prove that Corneilo was behind it," Ironside added. He turned back to Ava Blake. "Miss Blake, I would like to put you under protective custody. If those men outside do indeed work for Corneilo, then he will know that you came to see Ed. He will also know that I was here. That could put your life in danger. He might decide that you have talked to me and have become a liability. He eliminates liabilities."

"I don't know. I know he can be ruthless. I don't know what to do!"

Ironside caught Ed's eye. The sergeant instantly knew what his boss wanted him to do. "Ava, come here."

She went around Ironside and sat down on the edge of Brown's bed. He took her hand in his. "Remember what I told you. If you are ever to break away from Benito Corneilo, you must trust Chief Ironside. He will protect you."

"But for how long? Can you arrest him?" she asked.

"Not with what we have right now," Ironside admitted. "but now that we know he is sending Antonio Delano after Senator Murdock, we can catch him when he makes his move against him. Delano will not go down alone. He will turn on Corneilo. With his and your testimony, we should be able to put Corneilo away for a very long time."

Ava Blake's head was swimming. She wanted to be with Ed but she was scared of what Benito would do. "I don't know."

"Ava, do you remember what else we talked about?" Ed asked her. He stroked her hand with his thumb.

Ava thought about what Ed had said. Ironside would not allow them to be together if she was connected to Benito Corneilo, and she truly wanted to be with Ed. She had never met anyone like him. He was so kind and gentle. She trusted him and if he trusted Chief Ironside, then maybe she should as well. She had made her decision. "Okay, what do you want me to do, Chief Ironside?"

"I am going to have a couple officers take you to a hotel. I will have them stay with you around the clock until we get Benito Corneilo in custody. You will not be allowed to leave the hotel room. Is that understood?"

"Yes, but what will I do for clothes. I have nothing with me except what I am wearing. I will send Officer Whitfield to your apartment to pick up whatever you need. We will need the key so that she can get in."

Ava Blake reached into her purse and removed her keys. She handed them to Ironside. "What about my car?"

"We will pick it up and hold it at police headquarters," Ironside informed her.

The door to Ed's room opened and Lieutenant Carl Reese entered. "What are you doing here, Reese?" Ironside asked.

"I was in the area when the call came over the radio to check out the sedan parked by the hospital," Reese answered.

"Did you run a check on the vehicle." Ironside demanded.

"Yes, it is a 2013 Chevrolet Traverse. It is registered to one of Benito Corneilo's business'. The two men in the car are Jimmy Morlino and Billy Torceni. They both work for Corneilo."

"That confirms it, Chief. He must be having Ava followed," Ed said.

Ironside reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellphone. He dialed his office. When Officer Whitfield answered the phone, he said, "Eve, I want you to come over to San Francisco General, right away. Bring a couple plain-clothed officers with you. Be prepared to stay in a hotel room for a few days."

"Yes, Chief. I will stop by my apartment and pick up a few things. Anything else?"

"Yes, sent a couple uniformed cops up here immediately. Duffy will identify a man that is standing in the hall. I want them to take him downtown for questioning for assaulting Ed Brown. I need him out of here so we can get Ava Blake out."

"Got it, Chief." She hung up the phone.

"Duffy!" Ironside called over his shoulder.

"I heard. I'll take care of it." He left Ed's hospital room.

The chief continued to question Ava about Cornelio until Officer Whitfield arrived. Walking into Ed's room, she smiled at the sergeant and greeted her fellow officer. "How are you doing, Ed?"

"I've been better," Brown said, somewhat embarrassed.

They heard a commotion down the hall as the police officers arrested the man that had been watching Ava Blake. Duffy opened the door and entered. "Okay, Chief, they have taken the man off the floor. I told them not to take him out of the building until Eve had a chance to get Miss Blake out the back way."

Ironside refrained from smiling. This was the reason he chose Duffy for so many assignments. The man could think on his feet. He had meant to tell Duffy to do just that but he had left Ed's room before he had the chance. Duffy had good instincts and had not needed to be told.

Ironside turned towards Officer Whitfield. "Take her to the downtown Holiday Inn. Check in. The two plain-clothed officers are to stay with the two of you. We will arrange to have them relieved every eight hours. I will keep in touch with you."

"Yes, sir." Eve headed for the door.

"And Eve," Ironside called out.

She turned back to face him. "Yes, sir."

"Keep your eyes open and be careful."

Eve smiled. Just like the chief, always looking out for her. "I will." She and Ave Blake left the room.

6.2

Morlino and Toceni sat in the Chevrolet Terverse waiting for Ava Blake to come out. Both men hated it when the boss assigned them to follow her. They both feared losing her and then having to tell Benito. He had a terrible temper and they never knew when he would lose it. He had on occasion lost it completely and killed the men who failed to carry out his orders. Still both of them remained working for Benito.

Neither of them had the nerve to leave his employ. Benito did not allow anyone to leave him once he had accepted them as part of his mob. There was only one way to leave him and that was in a box. Somehow, he had a much bigger reach than any of them could imagine. A few times guys tried to run out on him. They rarely got far, and even if they did, it was only a matter of time before informants told him where they were. He would send Dante Domenico after them. Demenico would bring them back to San Francisco to face Benito, who would kill them in front of other men that he suspected had the same idea of taking off. It served to keep the ranks in line. Anyone who opened their mouth and spilled any of the company business suffered the same fate as the others. It proved an effective incentive to keep his men loyal and quiet.

"How much longer to we have to sit here?" Torceni complained.

"Until the bitch comes out," Morlino answered.

"I would not let the boss hear you call her that."

Morlino snorted. "One of these days, that broad is going to be his downfall. He should just waste her and find another one. Broads are a dime a dozen."

"He doesn't want another, he wants that broad. Can't blame him. Have you taken a good look at her? I would not mind having a piece of that, myself," Torceni said with a grin.

"And if I were you, I would not let the boss here you say that. You saw what he did to that cop."

"Speaking of that cop, shouldn't we report to Benito that Ironside showed up at the hospital. Maybe the cop called Ironside in to talk to her." Torceni lit his fifth cigarette since they had pulled up.

"Do you have to smoke those stinking things?" Jimmy said with disgust.

"Calms my nerves," Billy explained.

"So I have to suffer while you calm your nerves?"

Billy blew smoke into the air, and looked at the hospital entrance as Mark Sanger wheeled Ironside out of the building. They were followed by two police officers who were escorting Tony Berrati out of the hospital in handcuffs.

"This is not good," Billy said, pointing at the scene in front of the hospital. A police car pulled up in front and two officers got out. Berrati was led over to the car and one of the officers pushed him in to the back seat, then got in beside him. The other got behind the wheel and they drove away.

"Shouldn't we go up to Brown's room and see if the broad is still there?" Billy asked.

"You idiot, didn't you see Ironside come out with Tony? She's not there. Ironside has put her under protective custody. Benito is going to hit the roof."

"We better go back and tell him," Billy said. "He will kill us if we don't inform him."

"He may kill us anyway," Jimmy groaned.

TBC...


	7. Chapter 7

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 7

7.1

Jimmy Morlino and Billy Torceni sat outside of Benito Corneilo's office, waiting to see him. Both men were extremely nervous. They were well aware how volatile their boss's temper could be. They were afraid of facing him, yet at the same time they were afraid not to face him. It was in no way their fault Tony Berrati had been picked up by Ironside. They had been ordered to sit outside the hospital's front entrance, and report to Benito if Ava Blake showed up to see the cop.

They had done exactly as they were told to do, except they were unable to pick her up when she exited the hospital. No doubt Ironside had her surrounded with cops by now. She probably spilled her gut to the cripple. Benito was going to be furious. He had already beaten the cop half to death for spending the night with Ava, and he had beaten her up as well. That was only the tip of the iceberg. He would order her killed as soon as he found out Ironside had entered the hospital, and came out with Berrati. He could not take the chance as to what she may have told Ironside. The challenge would be to find out where he had hidden her.

The door to Corneilo's office opened and Dante Domenico came out with Benito. "Call me as soon as everything has been set," Corneilo told Domenico.

"No problem. It will be set later today," Domenico responded.

"Just call me, Dante. You better get going or you are going to miss your flight."

Domenico nodded and left. Benito glanced over at his two men and the expression on his face changed immediately. They knew from the look on his face, this was going to be bad. The two men stood up to face him.

"What in the hell are you two doing here? I told you to keep an eye on the hospital that cop is in. You were supposed to pick up Ava if she showed up to see Ed Brown."

"Boss, there has been a complication," Jimmy Morlino said meekly.

"Complication? What the hell do you mean complication?" he snarled. "Did she show up at the hospital or didn't she?"

This time Billy Torceni spoke up. "She did, Boss, just as you suspected she would."

"Then where is she? You were supposed to pick her up and bring her here."

"We intended to... we would have but... " Jimmy trailed off. He just did not know how to tell the boss what had transpired. Maybe if Torceni told him, he would shoot Billy instead of him.

Corneilo looked from one man to the other. He glanced over at his secretary. He decided it was better that he take the two morons into his office. Why couldn't they just follow simple orders? He pushed the door to his office wide opened and growled, "Get in there!" Torceni and Morlino walked past him, hoping they would not receive a bullet in the back of their heads, even though they knew it would not happen until they reported to him.

After the three men entered the office, Benito slammed the door shut. "Now tell me what the hell happened."

Morlino remained silent. Better to let Billy tell him.

"One of you better start talking before I start shooting," Benito threatened.

That was enough to scare Billy into being the spokesman. "We kept the hospital under surveillance, just as you said, Boss. We even had Tony Berrati on the inside so he could report to us."

"I did not tell you to use a third man, especially not on the inside. What the hell was he doing in there?"

"He was watching the cop's room. He was supposed to make sure Ava did not go out the back way if she showed up in Brown's room."

"When are you bozos going to do exactly as I tell you to do? Don't try to think for yourselves. I'll do the thinking. You are too damn stupid to do any thinking. If you had Tony on the inside, then where is Ava? Don't tell me she slipped past all three of you?"

"No Boss, she did not slip past us," Billy said.

"Then where is she?" he demanded.

"Well, after we saw her go in there, we waited for her to come out. Then... well... we weren't expecting him to show up but he did," Billy stammered. "When he did... well, we knew... knew..."

"Corneila rubbed the bridge of his nose. He looked at Jimmy Morlino. "You tell me what happened," he ordered.

Morlino pointed his thumb at his chest and said, "Me?"

"Is there anyone else in this room?" Benito yelled. He walked over to his desk and pulled a silenced weapon from the drawer. He waved it at the two of them. "Tell me what happened or I'll shoot you both!"

"Okay, okay, Boss. Take it easy. I'll tell you what happened," Jimmy said, scared that Benito would make good on his threat. "Ava went in. Tony followed her into the hospital. Then Ironside showed up."

"That doesn't surprise me. Brown is one of his men. That made it more imperative that you pick her up. I need to know what she told him. So why didn't you pick her up?" he snarled.

"She never came out," Jimmy told him.

"What do you mean she never came out?" Benito shouted. "She had to have come out of there. She could not slip out the back with Tony there. So where is she? What did Tony say? He must have seen her leave."

"I don't think so. You see, Boss, Tony came out in handcuffs with Ironside and two police officers."

"He what?" He waved the gun in front of the two of them. "You idiots! Ironside must have spotted you. He would have had the license plate checked."

Benito went over to the desk. He buzzed his secretary. "Get my lawyer on the phone, now!"

7.2

Eve helped Ava unpack her suitcase. Opening the draw to the dresser, she placed her clothing neatly inside. When Ava noticed that Eve was opening the next draw, placing more of her clothes inside, she walked over to the policewoman and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You are going to need somewhere to put your things too."

Eve smiled. "I only need one drawer." She watched Ava. She could tell something was on her mind and she was pretty sure she knew what it was. "You really like Ed, don't you?"

"Yes. I have never met anyone like him before. He has been so kind to me. I didn't want to put him in any danger. I should not have gone to the hospital. Now, Benito will know and I am afraid of what he will do to him."

Eve placed a arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry about Ed. He can take care of himself. You just worry about getting away from Corneilo. Ed and the chief will help you."

Ava shuddered. "The chief scares me. Is he always so... so... "

"Gruff, commanding?" Eve guessed.

"Yes, that is what I was going to say."

Eve laughed. "No, there is a soft side to him but don't tell him I told you that. I will deny I said it."

Ava laughed with her, but then her expression turned serious. "I'm scared. Benito can be ruthless."

"You just let the chief and Ed deal with him. We will keep you under police protection until we can arrest him."

Ava smiled but the smile did not reach her eyes. Why did she have the feeling that even Chief Ironside could not protect her from Benito Corneilo?

7.3

Lieutenant Carl Reese entered Ironside's office. He glanced at the chief who was on the phone. He headed directly for the kitchen where Mark Sanger was making his boss some lunch. Mark poured Carl a cup of coffee and handed it to the lieutenant.

"Who's the boss talking to?" Carl asked.

"Who else... the mayor. Senator Murdock got nowhere with Commissioner Randall; he decided to go over his head."

"So Mayor Simpson called the chief?" Carl grinned. "Does he really think he is going to get anywhere with him?"

"He has been bending the chief's ear for nearly an hour. The commissioner refuses to budge. He told the mayor that the chief was in charge of the senator's security. The mayor is worried that the chief is not taking the senator's security serious enough."

"Who could take that man seriously. He goes after the police department and then wants the very people he has gone after to protect him. Politicians... no wonder the chief can't stand them."

"The chief doesn't dislike politicians, Carl. What he doesn't like is trashing the police as a means to further themselves. Cops aren't perfect but they, by the most part, are honest and do a good job with the budget they are given."

Carl grinned. "You didn't always feel that way."

Mark grabbed the chief's sandwich from the counter. He looked at Carl and half-smiled. "I guess not."

Both men walked over to the table where the chief had just hung up the phone. Ironside ran his hand down his face. "That man is impossible."

Mark set the sandwich down in front of his boss as Carl seated himself beside him. "Which one," Mark asked, "the senator or the mayor?"

"The mayor is just doing his job. He is worried about something happening to the senator while he is here in San Francisco. I am talking about Senator Murdock."

"What's his beef now?" Carl asked.

"He wants practically the whole police force to protect him," Ironside grumbled. "Carl, with Ed in the hospital, I need you to go to the airport. I have a source that says Antonio Delano is going to be on a flight from Las Vegas. I want to know if he gets off that flight."

"Which flight?" Reese asked. Ironside gave him a look but did not answer him. "You mean you don't know what flight. Just a flight from Las Vegas."

Ironside nodded his head up and down. "Sources don't always know everything, Reese."

"Figures. I will have to sit at the airport all day waiting, watching every flight from Las Vegas."

"Got anything better to do?" Ironside snarled.

"As a matter of fact... " Carl said before he noticed the look on the chief's face.

"On my way," Reese complained. He got up and headed for the door.

"Carl! I want him tailed when he shows up," Ironside called out without looking back at the lieutenant.

"Yea, yea," Carl said with a wave of his hand.

7.4

Antonio Delano laid the case on the bed in the hotel room. Dante Domenico reached for it but Delano grabbed his hand. "Don't touch it, unless of course, you want to leave your fingerprints all over it."

"I wasn't going to touch it," Dante said, a bit disgusted. I just wanted to look at the weapon you are going to do the job with."

Delano opened the case. Domenico admired the rifle. "This is military issue only for snipers. How the hell did you get hold of it?"

Delano smirked. "Politicians are always trying to outlaw guns in this country. What they don't understand is no matter what they outlaw, there is always a way to get them if you really want to. I got this directly from the military for this particular job. You pay the right people, you get the weapon."

"So how is this going down?" Domenico asked.

Antonio Delano shook his head. "That is not your concern. I'll do the job, you provide the money. Speaking of money, you said half now and the rest when the job is done."

Dante turned around and picked up the briefcase he had brought with him. He dropped it on the bed. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a key and unlocked it. He flipped the top up. Loaded into the case was bundle after bundle of hundred-dollar bills. "Half, just as we agreed."

Delano looked into the briefcase. All that beautiful money and he could not keep it. "Take it with you when you leave here."

"What? What the hell are you talking about? I thought we had a deal?" Dante said, irritated.

"Relax, we have a deal, but after I do the job and Murdock is dead, do you really think Ironside would let me out of this town without getting a search warrant. Do you think I am stupid? I am not about to let Ironside catch me with a briefcase full of money."

"That cripple doesn't know about this," Domenico said.

Antonio put his head back and laughed. "If you really believe that then I certainly do not want this in my possession. I am not about to underestimate that man. He is one smart cop. He knows that Murdock has been going after Benito. The grapevine says there is a contract out on Murdock. Do you really think that crippled cop doesn't know your boss put that contract out on the senator?"

"He can't prove a thing. Benito is smart too."

"Maybe, but I have no intention of getting mixed up with Ironside. He's dangerous, and if your boss is as smart as you claim, he will not get mixed up with him either."

"If Ironside gets in the way, Benito will just eliminate him too."

Again, Delano just laughed at Domenico. "Well, if it comes to that don't call me. It has been tried several times and he is still wheeling around in that go-cart of his."

Domenico snickered. "Sounds like you are afraid of Ironside."

Delano glared at him with a deadly look. "Scared, no. I respect the cop's intelligence. You are a fool if you don't." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of paper. He handed it to Dante. "Memorize that number. It is a Swiss bank account. You will deposit the money into that account. I will be checking on it. When half the money is in the account, I will do the job. When it is done, put the other half in. I can get to the money. It is not traceable. Don't get any ideas about not paying the other half. You will regret, or should I say, you won't live to regret it. Are we clear on that?"

Dante got directly in his face. "Don't threaten me, Delano. We have no intention of cheating you, but if you get any ideas of coming after us," he said, pointing his finger into his chest, " _you_ won't live to regret it."

Delano just stared at him. "We understand each other. Now get out of here and take that briefcase of evidence with you." He took the paper with the bank account number out of Domenico's hand and opened the door.

7.5

Sergeant Ed Brown sat in the passenger seat of the van as Mark Sanger pulled it into San Francisco International Airport. His ribs still hurt and the headache still had not gone away, but it felt good to be back at work. He was acutely aware of Ironside watching him. Ed knew the chief was looking for signs that he was not up to doing his job. Brown was not about to give him any. He had learned a long time ago that anyone that worked for Robert T. Ironside did not show weakness in front of him. It was a good way to get sent home to rest.

The last thing he wanted was for the chief to send him home. He wanted to help bring Benito Corneilo in. It was the only way he and Ava would get any peace. He really did want to see the woman privately, although, he got the feeling Chief Ironside did not approve. He had not said anything to that effect, but Ed was sure it was the case. The chief was probably hoping he would come to the conclusion on his own. He would not order him to stay away from her.

Brown could see a plane in the distance coming in for a landing. No doubt that it was Senator Murdock's. He was not looking forward to this assignment. Ed wondered how Ironside could keep his cool with the senator. The man was power hungry and he did not care who he stepped on to gain that power, including the San Francisco Police Department. Ed was proud of being part of the SFPD. For the most part, it contained men and women doing a thankless job. They were under budgeted, overworked and unappreciated. He hated to stand by and watch a man who knew nothing about what cops went through on a day to day basis, trashing them on national television.

"Ed, are you up to this?" Ironside asked his sergeant, who had just gotten out of the hospital the day before.

"Yes, sir," Ed answered immediately, leaving no doubt in the tone of his voice.

"Then meet the senator as soon as he appears at the door of the plane," Ironside ordered.

Ed opened the door and left the van immediately, making sure his boss did not have the time to change his mind.

Mark watched his friend head toward the plane, which was now taxing to a stop. If Ed's walk was any indication of his condition, Mark would have sworn his friend was just fine. But, he knew differently. Ed was not in top shape and he was doing his best to keep it from their boss. Looking in the rear-view mirror at Ironside, he said, "Ed looks good, considering what he has been through."

"He doesn't look good and he is trying to keep the pain hidden from me," Ironside snarled. "And he doesn't need your cheerleading for him, either."

Mark almost smiled but kept it to himself. Ed was not fooling the chief at all.

Sergeant Brown stood at the bottom of the stairs of the plane, as Senator David Murdock appeared through the door. He came down the stairs like a movie star, fully aware the press was there with cameras and questions. He spotted Ed Brown at the bottom of the stairs. When he reached him, Ed offered his hand. Murdock ignored it as if it was beneath him to shake hands with a lowly sergeant.

"I thought Ironside was going to meet me here," he complained.

Ed ignored his rudeness and pointed to where the van was parked. "He's over there."

"So I have to walk in the open over to him. The arrogance of that man knows no bounds," the senator said.

Ed opened his mouth to defend his boss, but knew Ironside would say he did not need defending. Still, the urge to do so was strong. "You are well covered, Senator," was all Brown said, as officers from the police department surrounded Murdock.

With his eyes darting all around, Ed led him over to the chief's van. He opened the passenger door and waited for Senator Murdock to get in.

"You have to be kidding," Murdock said indignantly. "You mean to tell me you are not providing a limo?"

"A limo would not be bullet proof," Ironside said. "This vehicle is."

Ed entered the back of the van and sat down in the seat beside his boss. This was not going to be a pleasant ride.

"Is everything in place, Ed?" Ironside asked.

"Just as you ordered, Chief."

"Ordered? What is going on, Ironside?" the senator demanded.

"The chief is going to draw in the shooter," Mark explained.

"You're what?" the senator gasped. "Have you lost your mind, Ironside?"

If he was becoming irritated with the politician, neither Mark nor Ed could detect it.

"Would you rather he wait so that he shoots at you on his terms?" Ironside growled. "If we draw him in on our terms, we have a better chance of catching him right now."

"Him? You mean you know who is trying to kill me?" Murdock said, in a tone that demanded an answer from the detective.

"Antonio Delano is in town," Ironside answered. "He is a favorite hit-man of Benito Corneilo."

"What! And you let me walk that distance to this van?" the senator roared.

"Relax, Senator," Mark said, calmly. "The chief had Lieutenant Reese follow Delano from the time he landed at the airport. We know where he is. You were well covered."

"Why haven't you arrested him!?" he shouted at Ironside.

"Arrest him for what?" Ironside countered. "We might be able to get him on a charge of having a black-market weapon in his possession but that would be it. If we wait until he shoots at you, we have him on attempted murder.

"So you are going to let him shoot at me?" the senator said incredulously. "What kind of Mickey Mouse protection is this, Ironside?"

"You are welcome to leave this van anytime?" Ironside snarled. He had not chosen this assignment and he had no desire to put up with this man.

"With a hit-man out there taking pot shots at me, which you have allowed? I want to talk to the commissioner."

Ironside shook his head. "In due time, Senator," Ironside said.

Seconds later a shot was fired into the van's windshield.

Glancing over at the senator, who had slumped in his seat, Ironside shouted, "Go, Ed!" Sergeant Brown opened the back door and leaped out

TBC...


	8. Chapter 8

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 8

8.1

Two days later Ava Blake was in Ironside's office looking through mug files, trying to find the men that beat her up. She had been at it for at least two hours and she had not found anyone that looked liked the two men that had roughed her up that day. She wanted to help Chief Ironside as she knew it would also be helping Ed. And above all, she wanted to help him. After all, it was her fault that he was now on Corneilo's radar.

Eve Whitfield walked over to the table and set a cup of coffee in front of Ava. Eve had brought her to Ironside's office at his insistence. He knew if they could bring one of the men in that had beaten her, they could lean on him, and possibly get him to give them information on Benito Corneilo. Eve just did not care for the idea of bringing her out in public where Corneilo or more exactly, one of his men might have a chance to shoot her from a distance. But Ironside had insisted, so here she was trying to help.

And trying she definitely was. Eve could tell she had an infatuation with Ed. She had seen this kind of thing before. Quite often Ed turned the heads of ladies that had been drafted to help Ironside. After all, the sergeant was an extremely handsome man, and when you put that with the kind-hearted man he was, many of them would try to help if only to get the sergeant's attention.

Ava looked up and smiled at Eve. The coffee was a welcomed sight. She reached for the cup and took a sip. "Thank you."

"You are welcome. Any luck yet?" Eve asked her.

"None. After a while, all of these men begin to look alike."

Eve smiled. How often did she hear that one? "Keep trying." She patted her hand and left her to join Ironside at the table.

"Has she had any luck yet?" he inquired.

"No, Chief. Not yet. He may not even be in the mug files," Eve pointed out.

"I am aware of that, Officer Whitfield, but we have to eliminate all the usual suspects. Corneilo kills off his henchmen almost as fast as he brings them into his organization. This guy might be new. He may not have a record yet."

The door to the office opened and Sergeant Ed Brown walked in. He came swiftly down the ramp. When he spotted Ava at the table with the mug files, he walked over to her first. "Hi Ava," he said with a smile.

Her face lit up at the sight of the detective sergeant. "Hello, Ed. Chief Ironside said they had released you yesterday."

"They did but he made me stay home and rest. I have had enough rest. I want to get back to work and nail Corneilo so you can have some peace of mind. Have you been able to spot the guy that beat you?"

"I am afraid not. I am wondering if I will. I knew most of the men that worked for Benito. But this guy ... well, I had never seen him before."

Brown placed his hand over hers. "Keep trying. Maybe, you will get lucky." He smiled at her, left the table and headed straight for the boss.

"I thought I told you to take a few days off and rest," Ironside said, without looking up at his detective.

"You did. But, I don't need anymore rest. All I have been doing is resting. I need to get back to work," Ed said. He looked into the eyes of his boss. The best way to convince Ironside was to look him in the eye and let him get a read on you. He was positive the chief would read in his eyes that he did not need to rest any longer.

Ironside stared at his young detective. He depended on this man for so much and Ed rarely let him down. He was a good instinctive officer who was dedicated to his job and to Ironside. He could see a raw determination in his eyes. Sergeant Brown wanted to go back to work. Ironside's only question was whether he was fit. "Did you bring a medical release from the police doctor?"

Ed reached into his suit coat pocket and pulled out such a release. He set it down in front of his boss, grabbed a pen and handed it to the chief.

Ironside read the release over and looked up at his sergeant. "Are you sure you are ready to return to work?"

"I'm sure," Ed responded.

The two men stared at each other for a moment before Ironside gave in and placed his signature at the bottom of the page. "Eve make a copy of this medical release and file it."

"Yes, sir." She took the release out of his hand and walked over to the copier to make the copy.

"So where are we on the case?" Ed asked.

"Senator Murdock is in town," Ironside began. "I've got Carl covering him with police officers. He is not cooperating with us at all. I have asked him to give us his schedule twenty-four hours in advance so that we can have the proper amount of police officers in place, but he informs Carl as they are walking out the door. I would swear the man has a death wish."

"He's arrogant and wants to prove to the commissioner that you are not giving him the proper protection," Eve said returning to the table.

Mark joined them at the table. "A dangerous way to get a point across when there is a contract out on your head," he said, joining the conversation.

"Agreed, but we are still charged with protecting him," Ironside reminded his young officers.

"Maybe I should check with Carl and see if he needs any help," Ed suggested. "Two of us have a better chance of spotting a problem."

Ironside stared straight ahead scratching his chin with his thumb. Ed waited for a moment and when his boss did not respond, he said, "Chief?"

Ironside looked up at Brown. "Go ahead, Ed."

Eve glanced at Ironside and then looked at Ed and shrugged her shoulders. Ed noticed Ironside had gone back to staring into space. He turned and walked out of the office.

Eve sat down beside Ironside. "You seem to be deep in thought, Chief. Do you want to talk about it?"

"Eve, if you were hired to kill Murdock, when would you do it?"

"Well, I guess I would do it when he was on the move with a lot of people around him."

"Not when he was in the middle of a speech?" Ironside questioned.

"All of his speeches are scheduled indoors. That means the assassin would have to go inside. He would increase the chances of getting caught. No, I still think he would make the attempt when Senator Murdock is moving from one place to another," Eve picked up her coffee cup and put it to her lips. She lowered it when a thought hit her. "Except if ..."

Ironside looked his policewoman in the eye. "Except if what? If he was so confident that he didn't think he would get caught even if inside?"

Eve nodded. "Yes! That is what I was going to say. Do you think that is the case, Chief?"

"Yes. Antonio Delano is arrogant enough to try it" He picked up the paper that contained what little of Senator David Murdock's schedule that they had. Staring at it, Ironside began tapping an item on it."

Eve got up, stood behind his left shoulder and leaned into him as she bent over. "Of course! This speech is subject to change. He is not looking for crowds of people."

"No, he doesn't care about a crowd. He wants as much of the press there as he can get. This is where he is going to make his case that the police department is doing nothing to stop organized crime. Eve, that speech is supposed to happen today! I am betting that is when our man will try to kill Murdock," Ironside said.

"But we don't even know where it will be. He is not going to announce it until just before he leaves his hotel room," Eve said.

"We know that Benito Corneilo has used Antonio Delano for hits in the past. We know that; we just have not been able to prove it. I have no doubt he is using him for this one. We know he is in San Francisco. Carl is having him followed."

The phone on the table rang. Eve reached over her boss and picked it up. "Chief Ironside's office."

"Eve, this is Carl. I need to speak with the Chief, now" There was an urgency in Reese's voice that Eve detected despite his attempt to project calm. She had worked with the detective off and on over the years. Carl was Italian and could be rather hot headed at times, but she knew that calm, low-key voice. It meant that something was very wrong.

Eve handed the phone to Ironside. "It's Carl."

He took the receiver from her and said, "Yes, Carl."

"Chief, I think you better get over to the Hall of Justice."

"Now just why should I do that," he growled.

"Senator Murdock is headed there," Carl told him.

"The Hall of Justice? What the blazes is he doing there? Never mind, I know what he is doing there. It is where he is going to do his speech. Has he informed the press?"

"I am afraid he has. He is about to leave the hotel. I called ahead and let them know. Ed has already headed over there. He is going to arrange for extra police to protect Murdock. I thought you would want to be there."

"Who is covering Antonio Delano?" Ironside asked. The hair stood up on the back of his neck when his question was met with silence. "Well, Lieutenant?"

"Detectives Burman and Young were covering him," Carl answered.

"Were? What do you mean were?" Ironside bellowed.

Carl hesitated. He hated giving Ironside bad news. He was going to hit the roof. "They lost him."

"Lost him! How the hell do you lose a hired killer?"

Carl pulled the phone away from his ear as Ironside's voice could be heard several feet away. Placing the receiver back to his ear, he said, "He entered a movie theater. You know, the one with ten theaters under one roof. They were sitting about three rows behind him. He got up and left the theater. Burman and Young followed him out. The lobby was crowded but they were able to follow him to another of the theaters. They were stopped at the door by the attendant. By the time they produced their department ID, Delano had slipped out the exit at the side of the movie screen. Burman and Young split up and went out both of the exits. Unfortunately, Delano was nowhere in sight."

"Damn it!" Ironside roared. "Call the commissioner and tell him we are on our way." Ironside slammed the receiver into the cradle. "Mark! Eve! Let's go. He wheeled over to the ramp as Mark and Eve ran to catch up. He had to stop Murdock from giving that speech. Delano was certainly there waiting to kill the senator.

Ava Blake soon found her self alone in Ironside's office.

8.2

Antonio Delano opened the suitcase. He removed a gray wig and pulled it onto his head. Reaching back into the suitcase, he located a beard and mustache that was part of his very large collection of disguises. This was going to be tricky. He needed to get close to Murdock. In fact, he was going to have to get right in front of him. The police would have the buildings around the Hall of Justice covered. He considered getting a police uniform but he was afraid someone would recognize him. No, the only way he would get away from there was to disguise himself.

He had always worked alone but this time he had someone to help him. He had a man a distance away that would fire a few shots in Murdock's direction. He had been instructed to drop the weapon and leave immediately. What he did not know was that Delano had worked it out with Benito Corneilo to have him taken out immediately. He could not take the chance of him getting picked up by the police and singing like a canary. He had made sure he would help by offering him a ridiculous amount of money. Of course, he would never live to spend it. Benito had not batted an eye when Antonio asked him for the money for the man. He understood that if Delano was going to walk away from this job, he had to have an accomplice. Delano knew Benito depended on him for all the tough hits. He could ask for any amount of money and the man would pay it. That was the beauty of it. He had been milking the mobster for years.

Antonio walked over to the closet and pulled out nondescript clothes. He made sure he would be wearing nothing that would help anyone, including Ironside's cops, identify him. He put an old trench coat over the clothes. He smiled as he looked out the window. It was raining, not a downpour but, a light steady rain that would give him cover for the trench coat. Delano sat down on the bed. Reaching down, he grabbed the old pair of shoes Benito had provided with the clothes he was now wearing. After putting on the shoes, he looked around the hotel room. It was time to remove all of the evidence that he had been there.

Delano walked over to the television, turned it on and turned it to the channel that allowed him to checkout of the motel. Using a stolen credit card, also provided to him by Benito, he paid for the room and checked out. He was certain the cops were pouring over the motel room that he originally checked into. They would find no finger prints; he had wiped the place clean. No one would be able to identify him and his belongings had been removed from the room by one of Corneilo's men. They would have no idea whose clothes they were. Benito would have told them nothing other than to pick up his things.

Antonio picked up a cloth he had brought with him and began wiping every surface in the room that he had touched. To be on the safe side, he wiped everything in the room, including the window ledges and areas he knew he had not gone anywhere near. When he finished, he picked up his suit case and headed for the door. After wiping the door handle on both sides, he wiped the key clean of finger prints, and threw it on the bed. He left the room, closing the door with his foot. Time to head over to the Hall of Justice. Benito's sources were always reliable. He did not know where he got his information but he was positive he would find Murdock there giving a speech to the press.

8.3

Ironside wheeled into Commissioner Randall's office. Dennis could see by the look on his face that this was not going to be a pleasant visit. "I know, I know ..." Randall put his hands up.

The commissioner did not get to say anything else before Robert Ironside took over. "Does Murdock have a death wish?" he roared.

Senator David Murdock entered Randall's office. "What's the matter, Ironside, are the police so incompetent that you can't protect me right in front of the Hall of Justice?"

"How the hell did you ever get elected to the senate?" the chief complained.

"The people, Ironside, the people. They are tired of paying out thousands and thousands of dollars every year for incompetent police. It is about time that they learn just how the city of San Francisco waste money on paying people like you, as organized crime runs rampant throughout the city."

"That's hogwash!" Ironside snarled. "You don't have any idea what it takes to bring people like Benito Corneilo down. I can't just go out and arrest someone because you don't like them. I have to have evidence. These types are cunning. It takes time to collect enough evidence to bring them to trial, especially when people like you keep making laws that make it easier for them to hide behind!"

"Why you worthless ... " Senator Murdock started to say.

Randall was afraid he was already losing control of the situation. He could not stop Murdock but Ironside was under his command. Well, if the truth be told, he did not have much control over him either. "Gentlemen! Enough, this is not getting us anywhere."

"You need to cancel this speech," Ironside growled.

"You would like that wouldn't you, Ironside? Then you could go on with your incompetence and no one would know just how worthless you are," Murdock rambled on.

Eve placed a hand on her boss's shoulder, hoping to calm him before this escalated into a total shouting match. "What the chief is saying, Senator, is that you have not given us time to ensure your safety. The buildings across the street have not been checked out. An assassin could easily be hiding in any one of them. We have been shot at from that building across the street before."

"Then I suggest you get someone over there," Murdock said, "because this speech is going to go on whether your boss likes it or not."

"Murdock, I don't give a flaming hell what you are going to say. The people in this city can see through a politician trying to use the police department as a stepping stone for his career. We have been charged with protecting you and we cannot do that out in the open where anyone can take pot shots at you, if we are not given proper notice to set up security," Ironside roared. Eve's calming hand evidently did not work this time.

Murdock's look soured. "Since when are you concerned about my safety? You have not bothered listening to me since I got here."

"Gentlemen, you are in my office and I will not put up with anymore arguing!" Randall snarled, trying to take back control.

Ed and Carl entered Randall's office. "Chief, we need more time," Ed complained. "There is no way we can check out that entire building and the other surrounding buildings before this speech takes place."

"Well, Chief, is that incompetence I detect right in your own office?" Murdock smirked.

Ironside turned and looked at Randall. "Dennis, I want this speech cancelled, or at the very least postponed until we have had the proper time to set up protection for ... this man."

"I am not cancelling or postponing," Murdock insisted.

"Dennis, Antonia Delano is in town," Ironside informed him.

"What? My God! They do intend to make an attempt on the senator's life," Randall exclaimed.

"Who is Antonio Delano?" Murdock asked.

"He's a known paid assassin," Ed responded for his boss.

"Something you should have known since you have become such an expert on organized crime," Ironside snarled.

The senator was not about to let him ruffle his feathers. "I trust you have at least learned enough police techniques that you had him followed?" Murdock said, mocking the detective.

"I had him followed the minute he left the airport," Ironside growled, knowing what was coming.

"Then what is the problem? If you know where he is, he cannot possibly present any threat to me?" Senator Murdock looked at Ironside, defying him to argue further, but it was not the chief who spoke up.

Carl stepped from behind Ed where he had been listening to the exchange between Murdock and Ironside. "Our men lost him, Senator. And before you go screaming incompetence, they are two very good officers. You don't have any idea how cunning this man is."

Murdock stood there, his head bobbing, a smirk on his face. "You lost him, Ironside?"

"No, we lost him," Carl corrected.

"I don't need you to defend me, Carl. The problem here is that the senator has no idea of what police do every day, the dedication they show and the lousy treatment they receive at the hands of politicians who know absolutely nothing about police work.

"I would suggest the speech be moved inside where we can provide the proper protection," Ironside presented it as a suggestion but his voice sounded more like an order.

"No, I want it held outside," Murdock insisted. "You are charged with protecting me, so do it."

"Do you want to get killed, Murdock?" Ironside shouted.

"You better make sure I don't, and that is Senator Murdock to you, Ironside."

"If you want him to respect your title, Senator, then I suggest you respect his," Randall said. That's Chief Ironside."

Murdock stared at Randall for a minute. "The speech goes as planned."

"It's your funeral, Murdock. I don't suspect it will be attended by anyone from this police department," Randall said. "If you go ahead with this, I will tell the citizens of this city what transpired here in this office, and I will not hold this department responsible for what could very well be a tragic outcome. Do you understand that?" Randall demanded.

"You never hold them responsible, Randall. That is the reason for this speech." He gave the commissioner and Ironside a disdainful look and left the office."

"The man is going to get himself killed," Ed said, shaking his head.

"Not on my watch," Ironside said. "Let's go."

8.4

Antonio Delano watched as the crowd began to grow. Benito had done his job well. On the right side of the podium was a good size crowd from the Anti-Police Brutality Organization. Another group of people from Citizens for Better Police Protection, were on the other side. Both were being very vocal, while carrying signs that he hoped would block the view of anyone watching from the windows of the Hall of Justice. Up the middle was a growing crowd of spectators.

This was exactly what the assassin had been hoping for. The more people, the better the chance that he could shoot the senator and get away. As soon as the shots rang out, people would panic and run in every direction. That would be when he would simply slip away quietly. Benito had given him everything he wanted.

He noticed Ironside was sitting in his wheelchair on the far left side of the podium. Delano smiled when he noticed the chief did not look very happy. He had no doubt he had come to complain about the sudden announcement of the senator's speech, which of course would only fuel Murdock's intentions of going ahead with it. Ironside was right, of course, the speech should have been postponed or taken inside. All Murdock did by his determination to defy Ironside was sign his own death warrant. The police did not have the time to check the surrounding buildings. That would be the nail in Murdock's coffin.

Delano began slowly pushing his way through the crowd. He had to get near the front. It was important that he get close enough to get the shot off. This plan was risky but it would give him so much satisfaction to kill Murdock right under Ironside's nose. He only wish Benito had paid him to kill that damn detective too. That would have been the ultimate prize.

Ironside held the police radio in his hand. "Carl what is the situation with the buildings?" he asked.

"Chief, there is just no way our guys can check every room in every building. It is impossible with the time we have," Reese complained.

Ironside closed his eyes. He already knew that was going to be the report. He looked up and surveyed the surrounding buildings wondering which window Antonio was going to be shooting from. He had no doubt that Delano was here. It was a perfect opportunity to kill Murdock. The police could not provide adequate security on such short notice. Corneilo probably got wind of it from the press. He looked out over the crowd. Either Corneilo was able to arrange for them to be here or the senator himself did. Either way it did not matter. The crowd was growing larger and with every extra person, Ironside's unease grew with it.

Senator Murdock came out of the Hall of Justice. With a smile on his face, he waved at the people who had come to hear his speech. He stood there waving and smiling until Ironside could not watch him any longer. Looking over at Officer Eve Whitfield, he muttered, "Politicians."

Mark Sanger stood close to his boss, ready to move him out of the line of fire should it become necessary. He caught Eve's eye. He could read the same concern in her eyes that he himself had. Mark was far more worried about the chief than he was Senator Murdock. What if this was just a set up? Maybe Senator Murdock was not the target at all? What would bring Chief Ironside to the scene faster than anything else? He had not attended the other speeches the senator had made so far. Delano had still been under surveillance. Carl had had plenty of time to set up enough police protection to cover the politician. But this was different. Naturally, as soon as he found out that Murdock was calling a press conference with no time for police to make the area secure, his boss would immediately come down to try and stop it. Now, he was out in the open the same as Senator Murdock.

Ironside's eyes constantly scanned the crowd. What if he was not in one of those buildings? He could be right down there in the crowd. The uneasy feeling grew even more. "Eve, I don't think we can just assume he will shoot from a distance."

"Chief, he is going to want to get away. He would be taking a chance shooting from the ground. Besides, all of our officers were given a picture of him. They would recognize him."

"Not if he is disguised, Officer Whitfield," Ironside said.

Eve looked at him, realizing he was right. If Delano was in that crowd, he would be wearing some kind of disguise.

"Eve, go mingle among the crowd. If he is out there, see if you can spot him." Eve left his side immediately.

"Chief," Mark protested.

"I am alright, Mark. He is not after me," Ironside assured him. Mark was not convinced, but knew it would be a waste of time to protest further. He went back to watching the windows across the street.

Senator Murdock was now behind the podium. He had began talking. He gave a scathing criticism of the San Francisco police department. When he was finished, the press began asking questions. Naturally, they began with the remarks he had made on Ironside's so-called incompetence. Up to that point, everything had been peaceful. Then all hell broke loose.

TBC...

Sorry for the delay in getting chapters out. All I can say is real-life is still getting in the way of fanfiction life. Hopefully, I can get back on track soon. Stayed tuned for another Perry Mason/Ironside crossover in the works.


	9. Chapter 9

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 9

9.1

Shots rang out from the building across the street of the Hall of Justice. People began screaming and running in every direction. Police ran towards the senator with guns drawn.

Antonia Delano surveyed the scene. He had a matter of seconds to do the job. Using the trench coat sleeve to hide the weapon in his possession, he pointed at Senator Murdock.

Officer Eve Whitfield hurried through the crowd, her eyes looking in every direction, trying to spot a potential killer. She glanced across the street; uniformed police were swarming into the building. She turned and looked at Senator Murdock. Standing in front of the podium was a stooped-over elderly gentleman. He did not seem to be panicked as the rest of the crowd was. Eve heard in her mind, the chief's words, _'Not if he is disguised.'_ Eve ran toward the man with her service revolver drawn.

The man lifted his arm. Eve did not hear the gun go off as shots were still ringing from across the street. She glanced at the podium. Ed Brown dove at Senator Murdock, knocking him to the ground. Murdock showed no movement. Eve looked back at the elderly man, who seemed to be moving away from the chaos calmly. Eve didn't like it. Murdock still was not moving and Ed was yelling in Ironside's direction.

Eve began following the man that was moving through the crowd. He was the only one that was not running or looking for shelter from the oncoming bullets being fired in their direction.

Mark Sanger had immediately pushed his boss behind a column to protect him. Frustrated, Ironside grabbed the police radio and shouted, "Ed!"

Brown answered him almost immediately. "Chief, we need an ambulance, Murdock has been hit!"

"Mark!" Ironside bellowed. Before he could issue an order to his aide, Sanger took off, heading into the Hall of Justice, already knowing the chief wanted him to call that ambulance.

Ironside noticed a man moving calmly through the crowd. He appeared to be an elderly gentlemen, but Ironside knew better. No one moved that calmly with bullets being riddle towards the crowd. He picked up the radio and then noticed that Eve was following the man. "Carl, where the blazes are you?"

Carl answered, "Looking for the shooter, Chief. We have police checking every room in the building."

"Forget it, Lieutenant. Let Duffy handle it. The shooter was in the crowd not in that building!" Ironside shouted over the roar of the panicked crowd.

"What? The shots came from this building!" Carl argued.

"That was a diversion. The shooter is in the crowd. Eve is following him now. Get out there!"

"Yes, sir!"

Ironside switched to Ed Brown. "Ed, let the boys stay with Murdock. Eve has spotted the shooter and is following him right now. He's on your far left. Eve is right behind him. Don't let him get away!"

"I'm on it, Chief!" Ed shouted. He took off in the direction the chief had indicated.

Antonio Delano kept a steady pace as he headed away from the scene. The more distance he put between him and Senator Murdock, the safer he would be. Dare he glance behind him? Delano decided to take the chance. Looking over his shoulder, he spotted Eve Whitfield. She was not some one whom you could miss. You would think Ironside would choose a more drab police woman to work for him. Whitfield was a looker who would turn the head of any man, including Delano. Unfortunately, she was not a woman he wanted to see in this situation. He made a few twists and turns and then glanced back again. Whitfield was still following him.

Delano knew that if she had made him, then Ironside would order other cops after him. It was time he got the hell out of there. He would not have considered running before as Ironside or his people would have spotted him. No elderly person could run away from the scene. But now it did not matter. Ironside or one of his cops suspected he was the one that shot Murdock.

The assassin started running away as fast as he could. He ducked into the closest building and went into the mens' room. Officer Whitfield was delayed in the crowd long enough to lose sight of him. After removing the trench coat and the old man's clothes, he reached into the coat pocket and pulled out a blonde wig and beard. Underneath his disguise he was wearing a pair of blue jeans and a pull over shirt. He took out a pair of sun glasses and put them on. He placed the blond wig on and attached the new beard to his chin. Delano looked into the mirror. He grinned at the results. He looked like an entirely different person. Ironside and his people would not even give him a second look.

Laughing at having gotten past the police and especially Ironside, he threw the clothes into the covered waste basket. He failed to remove the gun that he had used to shoot Senator Murdock, from the pocket of the trench coat, making an error only an amateur would make.

With his new disguise and feeling confident that he had committed the perfect hit, he walked out of the bathroom and the building. He continued down the street to an awaiting Ford Mustang. He almost could not contain a grin when he passed Eve Whitfield and Ed Brown as he slid into the vehicle. Delano turned the key in the ignition, and headed to the private plane which Benito Corneilo had arranged to fly him back to Las Vegas. Even if Ironside suspected he was behind the killing of Murdock, he would be unable to prove it. He left no prints in the motel. No court of law would convict him as no one could identify him due to his disguise. This was a perfect hit and there was nothing Ironside could do about it.

Sergeant Ed Brown, who had joined Officer Eve Whitfield, looked around. "Did you see where he went?" Ed asked.

"He must have entered one of the buildings. Otherwise we would not have lost sight of him," Eve answered.

Eve followed him into the first building. After checking it thoroughly, they moved on until they reached the building Delano had changed in. "You check that way," he said, pointing straight ahead. Eve left him as he turned to the left down the corridor. Checking every office in the hall, Antonio Delano was no where to be found. He continued to check the offices until he ran out of rooms and suites. Fifteen minutes later, he and Eve met in the last hall. After they checked it, it became obvious that Delano was no where in the building.

"Maybe he slipped into one of the other buildings," Eve suggested.

"I don't think so," Brown disagreed. "We have checked the closest ones to the murder scene, and this one would be far easier for him to hide in and slip out of, but let's keep checking and get more help. As they headed for the door, Eve stopped and grabbed Ed's arm.

"Ed, look! I didn't see that one on the way in." She pointed at the men's room.

Ed opened the door and entered. After checking to be sure the bathroom was empty, he motioned for her to join him. Immediately upon entering, Eve noticed something on the floor. Bending down, she picked it up. "Ed!"

Brown took the lock of hair from her hand. "Gray hair, probably from a wig." He handed it back to her. Ed checked the sink. "Doesn't look like he used any dye. I don't think he would have had the time to clean it up."

Eve opened the doors on all the stalls. "Nothing here," she told him.

Sergeant Brown walked over to the waste basket. He swung the door inward and looked inside. After he saw what was there, he removed the top of the basket and reached in. Ed pulled out the trench coat, wig and beard. Holding the beard up, he compared it to the lock of hair Eve was holding.

"They match," Eve said.

"He did not pass us, and we know what he looks like," Ed said.

"He must have had another disguise under the trench coat," Eve suggested.

"The guy that got into the Mustang! He came out of this building. I saw him from down the street." Brown handed the trench coat to Eve, pulled his cellphone from his pocket and called for an APB on a blue Ford Mustang. He described the man that got into the car and told dispatch he was suspected to be Antonio Delano.

"This coat is awfully heavy," Eve pointed out. She reached into the pocket. The look on her face told Ed that she had found something in the coat. Eve took a handkerchief out of her purse. Using it, she reached into the trench coat and pulled a gun out of the pocket.

"Don't get too excited, Ed. There will probably be no fingerprints on it," Eve said.

"Well, we have to check it anyway." Taking the gun from Eve, he placed it in his suit coat pocket. "Let's go."

Ed and Eve left the building. As they stepped outside, the street was crowded with police. Officer Duffy walked up to them. "The chief is looking for you two. He said you are not answering the radio. Senator Murdock has died."

"Now it is murder one," Ed said.

"What's that?" Duffy inquired, looking down at the trench coat Ed was holding.

"The disguise the assassin wore," Eve answered. "He even left the gun behind."

Duffy lowered his brow. "A pro ... leaving a gun behind?"

Ed shrugged. "He probably used gloves. There won't be any prints on it but you know the chief ..."

"Check anyway," Duffy finished for him.

"Get a team in here," Ed told him. "See what else you can find. And make sure you call us as soon as you get the results."

"Will do, Ed."

Ed and Eve left to give Ironside the bad news.

9.2

Antonio Delano sat back in the seat of the private jet and relaxed. Everything had gone as planned. He had checked the news on the way to the airport and they had announced that the senator was dead. As soon as he arrived in Las Vegas, he would confirm that the rest of the money had been placed in his overseas account. He really did not have any doubt that it would be there. Benito Corneilo had been his most profitable client for years now. He had been to San Francisco more times then he could count.

A perfect kill was always a satisfying feeling, but the real satisfying feeling was making the kills under Ironside's nose. He had been so successful in doing so that Ironside to this day still had nothing on him. He spent a lot of time planning the kills and making sure that he got out of the city. Benito had already set up his cover. A very successful, upstanding business man, that Benito had control of, would claim that he was with him at the time of the murder. They had been careful to make sure they had a video of the two of them together, time dated. Again, Ironside would not be able to touch him.

The cops would not find the clothes he had worn. Antonio had been careful to be sure to know what time the trash can was was emptied. The cleaning crew would have entered almost immediately after he exited the building. All evidence that he had left behind would be destroyed when the cleaning crew went into the bathroom.

Then his confidence crashed as he thought of the gun ... Antonio sat in his seat stunned, as he realized he had left the gun he used in the trench coat. He had been in a hurry to get out of there before Ironside's people showed up. He had passed them on the street, but they could not possibly know which building he had entered. They certainly had not recognized him or they would have attempted to arrest him.

Delano began to panic. What if they had entered the building? Would they have discovered the clothes, his disguise and the gun? No, it would have taken a search of the building. That would take time and the cleaning cart was down the hall when he left. The cleaning crew would have removed the evidence. They would not have checked what was in the large covered trash can. They simply would have pulled the plastic bag out of it and gotten rid of it.

Trying to calm himself, Delano asked for a drink. He quickly swilled down the whiskey he had been given. He had made a major mistake. He had not had any intentions of leaving that gun behind. Antonio had never made a mistake like that before. His intention had been to drop it in the bay when he went over the Golden Gate Bridge to the private airport. Had his respect for Ironside and his people, and his desire to avoid contact with them, forced him to make the error? For God's sake, he was a professional. He did not make mistakes. Ironside ... damn him! He never should have allowed him to rush his timeline.

Still, the cleaning crew would have removed the evidence and it was doubtful that Ironside's people had even gone into the particular building, at least not until after the evidence had been destroyed. He had to stop this. They would have been much more concerned about setting up a perimeter to try and stop him from getting out of San Francisco.

It was just Ironside. That was all it was. He knew he was a smart cop and he went to great lengths to avoid getting on his radar. He would be okay. He had a couple other contracts to fulfill. It was time he put Ironside out of his mind and concentrate on setting them up.

9.3

Ironside heard the door to his office open and watched Commissioner Randall walk in. He came down the ramp, walked over to the table and sat down beside Ironside. The chief waited for his boss to speak but he simply sat there in silence.

"Mark, bring the commissioner a cup of coffee," Ironside shouted over his shoulder.

"Forget the coffee, Mark," the commissioner said, "bring a bottle of Bob's bourbon."

If the situation had not been so grave, Ironside would have grinned. Instead, he said nothing as Mark brought two glasses and the bottle of bourbon the commissioner had requested.

"The news conference did not go well," Randall said finally.

"I am sorry, Dennis," Ironside said, in a rare apology.

"Oh, it's not your fault, Bob. You did everything you could. Murdock is to blame for what happened. He wanted to make you and the police department look bad."

"He paid for his attitude with his life," Ironside responded.

"The press questioned me for ninety minutes. They blame the police for what happened."

"Naturally. Dennis, we just did not have enough time to set up his security."

"I know that, Bob. I told the press he refused to listen to you. He ignored your request to put it off until you could set up his protection."

"He got his way. He wanted to make the police look bad and he succeeded," Mark said. "A pretty high price to pay just to make them look incompetent."

"What about the city council?" Ironside asked.

Commissioner Randall removed his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose before putting them back on. "They don't blame you, if that is what you are asking."

"I don't care whether they blame me or not," Ironside snarled. "Whenever something like this happens they panic and ..."

"And demand we do something about it," Randall finished for him.

"So what are they demanding," the chief asked.

"They want you on the case. They are expecting you to find the man that did this and bring him back to San Francisco for trial."

"Bring him back? He may just be right here in San Francisco right now," Ironside pointed out.

"You don't really believe that do you?" Randall asked.

"No, Delano would have headed out of San Francisco as soon as the job was done."

"How do you suppose he could have gotten past the perimeter you set up?"

"Same way he got so close to Murdock," Ironside answered.

"Another disguise," Randall said, taking a sip of his bourbon.

"He probably walked right past us. He is known for his disguises. That is what has made it so hard to catch him."

"So where are we?" Randall asked.

"Ed and Eve found the clothes, the trench coat, and the wig and beard he used."

"There will not be any prints, Bob. He doesn't make mistakes. This is a nightmare. The city council is demanding we bring the person responsible to justice and I have already got a phone call from the governor, who by the way, is also pressuring us to solve this quickly. I don't know how we can do that when he never makes mistakes."

"He did this time," Ironside said.

Randall perked up. Dare he hope that Delano gave them something to go on? "What mistake?"

"Dennis, you must be tired. The first mistake he made was to leave the clothes where we could find them. His second mistake was to leave the gun in the pocket of the trench coat. He should have thrown it in the bay where the chances of it being found would be next to none."

"Was there any prints on the gun?" Randall asked.

"I don't know."

"What do you mean you don't know?" Randall turned and looked around the room. "Where are Ed and Eve?"

"Finding out if there are any prints on the gun."

The door to the office opened and Ironside's officers came down the ramp. "Chief," Ed said excitedly, "we got a break. There were prints on the gun!"

"But how do we match them with Antonio Delano?" Randall stood up to greet the detectives.

"Eve remembered that when she saw Delano disguised as an old man, he was not wearing gloves," Ed told them.

"It still doesn't answer my question," Randal interrupted. "How do we tie the gun to Delano? Are his prints out there anywhere? Do we have any proof that he was even at the scene? Did anyone identify him? And how can we be sure that he is the shooter?"

Ironside turned his head toward his boss and frowned. "Dennis, if you would give them a chance, they might just be able to answer some of those questions."

"Sorry, Bob. The city council and the governor have my nerves on edge." He looked over at Ed and Eve. "Go ahead."

"One of the officers talked to a man that was there." Eve consulted her notes. "The man's name is Wilber Hearn. He remembers seeing an old man standing beside him raise his hand right at the time the shot was fired. He said he put his hand in the pocket of the trench coat. When he pulled it out, he saw a ring on his baby finger."

"A gold ring, oval in shape with a dragon head on it," Ironside said.

Eve smiled. The boss did not miss much or forget much that he had read or seen. "That's right."

"So what difference does it make that he was wearing a ring with a dragon on it?" Randall asked, confused.

"It's the beginning of connecting him to the murder," Ironside responded.

"But ..."

"Dennis, let them talk," the chief said in frustration.

"How the chief knows that Delano wears that ring on his baby finger is because his family considers it their family crest," Ed said.

"That is not proof enough, Sergeant," Randall said. "We need ..."

Ironside gave Randall a look before interrupting. "Dennis, let them finish."

"There are no fingerprints on file for him. The motel room he stayed in was wiped clean of prints," Eve continued.

"Naturally," Randall said. "In other words, we have nothing."

"Dennis!" Ironside growled. The commissioner became silent as if he had just been chastised by his boss not his subordinate.

"Actually we do," Ed told Randall. "He filled out a registration card when he checked into the hotel. It was not in his name. It was in the name of Edward Miller of Las Vegas."

"So how does that help us?" Commissioner Randall asked.

"It wouldn't except that we showed the clerk pictures of several known mafia figures, and the clerk picked Antonio Delano as the man that filled out the registration card," Ed reported.

"Bob?" Randall asked excitedly.

"It is enough to pick him up on suspicion of murder. Eve, get Carl on the phone."

Brown looked sharply at his boss. "Just a minute, Eve. Chief, you aren't thinking of sending Carl after him?"

"That is exactly what I am thinking," Ironside replied.

Ed stood up and looked his boss straight in the eye. "Chief, you can't send Carl."

Every one in the room became silent. Ironside met his sergeant's eyes. "You just got out of the hospital."

"And I was pronounced fit for duty," Ed argued. "You signed it, Chief. Are you telling me you signed my medical release if you did not feel I could return to duty?" Brown challenged his boss.

No one said a word as sergeant and chief stared into each others eyes. After what seemed liked forever, Ironside sat back in his wheelchair. "Alright, Ed. The job is yours. Go to Las Vegas and bring him back."

TBC...


	10. Chapter 10

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 10

10.1

Robert Ironside waited impatiently for Ava Blake to complete her description of the men who beat her, to the police sketch artist. George placed the final sketches in from of her and asked, "Are these good likenesses of the men who beat you?"

Ava studied the sketches while Ironside looked on. "Yes, those are the two men who came into my home and beat me.

"Will there be anything else, Chief?" George asked him.

"No, thanks, George," Ironside said in dismissal. The police artist picked up his pads and pencils, then left the office.

The door to the office opened, and Sergeant Ed Brown entered with his suitcase in tow.

The chief watched as he came down the ramp. Mark came out of the kitchen and met him with a steaming cup of coffee. Dressed in his usual suit and tie, Ed happily took the coffee from Mark. He joined Eve and Ironside at the table. His boss' eyes were boring into his. Ed knew what he was thinking.

"Relax, Chief, I am up to this," Ed said, trying to ease the detective's concerns.

"This man is dangerous. Don't take any chances. When you get to Las Vegas, contact Captain Vince Gillis. He can help you bring Delano in. I don't want you to try and do it alone. Is that clear?"

"Perfectly clear," Brown answered.

Ava Blake got up from the table she had been sitting at and walked over to Ironside. She and Ed shared a glance that did not go unnoticed by the boss. "Chief Ironside, if you do not need me any further, I think I will be leaving."

"No, I will not need you any further. There are two policemen outside the door who will stay with you until we are able to pick up Corneilo. Do exactly as they tell you to do, and don't venture out on your own."

Ava nodded in acknowledgement, glanced at Ed and headed up the ramp. Brown was acutely aware that Ironside was watching him. Still, he was not about to leave the city without saying a proper goodbye to Ava. And a proper goodbye did not include doing it in front of Mark, Eve and the chief. "If you will excuse me, I will be right back." Without waiting for the chief's approval, he headed up the ramp at a swift pace and left the office.

Ironside sat at the table frowning. He never wanted to put his officers in the position of him controlling their personal lives, but Ed's infatuation with Ava Blake worried him. She seemed on the level, but there was always that nagging voice that kept telling him that Ed's involvement would only bring him more grief, and if she brought Ed grief, then it would bring just as much to him as well as Eve and Mark. They were a family after all.

Eve sat down beside him. As if she could read his mind, Eve said softly, "Ed knows what he is doing, Chief." As much as she loved Ironside, she did not like to see the worry in his handsome features.

"Did I say he didn't?" Ironside growled.

"No, but it is written all over your face," she said.

Mark came over and sat down, pouring the chief another cup of coffee. "I'm with the chief on this one."

Surprised at Mark's revelation, Eve turned towards him. "I am surprised that you are not on Ed's side in this. I seemed to remember you going off the deep end when the chief told you to stay away from Sam Noble."*

"I did, but as it turned out the chief was right about Sam," Mark reminded her. Is Ed making the same mistake I made?"

"It is different when a friend does it then when you do it, is that what you are saying?" Eve challenged him.

"No, I am not saying that. I am saying I learned my lesson. Next time the chief tells me to stay away from someone, I will examine the individual closer. Ed should do the same," Mark said.

"I never expected that coming from you, the man who said he was flesh and blood and could make his own decisions" Ironside added.

"Like I said, Chief, I learned my lesson."

"Ed is a grown man. I can't order him to stay away from Ava Blake. I have already expressed my concerns about her. I cannot do anything more about it," Ironside added.

"That's a far cry from what you told me," Mark pointed out.

"Are we going to get anything done in this office today or are we going to spend the day discussing Ed Brown's love life?" Ironside grumbled.

With raised eyebrows, Eve and Mark went back to work. That was the chief's way of saying the discussion was closed.

Out in the hall, Sergeant Ed Brown caught up with Ava Blake at the elevator. With her, were the two police officers assigned to protect her. Ed turned to the officers and said, "You two go downstairs. I will bring Miss Blake to the lobby in a minute. Neither officer questioned Brown. He was a member of Ironside's staff, and no officer wanted to tangle with the former chief of detectives. They got on the elevator and push the button that would take them to the lobby of Headquarters.

Ed took her hand. "I have to go to Las Vegas and pick up Antonio Delano. It may take me a few days to locate him, but I will call you every day."

"Ed, I am not sure your boss would approve of you seeing me," she said quietly.

"Did Chief Ironside say something to you about us seeing each other?" Ed asked her. He didn't think the chief would but he wanted to know.

"No. It is just ... "

Ed used his index finger to raise her chin so that her eyes would meet his. "It's just what?"

"Don't get me wrong; he has been polite and professional. It's the vibes that I get from him. I know he doesn't approve."

"The chief is very protective of his people. He is worried about me. Things will be different after all of this is over." He smiled down at her.

Ava dropped her eyes from his. "Will it ever be over? Can your chief actually put Benito in prison?"

"He has put many people just like him in prison. Just leave it to us. We will nail him. Enough about Chief Ironside and Benito Corneilo." Ed bent down and kissed Ava. "I'll see you when I get back. Be sure you do exactly what the officers tell you to do. They will keep you safe."

Brown rode down with Ava, made sure the officers escorted her out of the building, and then got back into the elevator. After pressing the button to Ironside's floor, he rode it up until the doors opened. Heading back into the chief's office, Ed came down the ramp.

"Don't you have a plane to catch, Sergeant Brown?" Ironside bellowed.

Ed smiled and picked up his suitcase. "On my way, Chief."

"Ed!" Ironside called out over his shoulder.

Brown turned back to the detective in the wheelchair. "Yes, Chief."

"Watch yourself and be careful."

"I will. I will call you as soon as I have some news."

"You do that." Ironside turned his attention away from his sergeant and went back to his paperwork.

Ed nodded to Eve and Mark, and then left the office.

10.2

Benito Corneilo slammed the receiver down and swore. He could not believe it! He hired a pro to take out Senator Murdock, and he might as well have sent one of the idiots that worked for him. Information had leaked out of the police department that Delano had left his overcoat and the gun in the trash can in the bathroom. No pro would be so careless. Maybe it was time that he found someone else to handle his hits. Delano obviously could no longer be trusted to do so. Since Ironside could find out that Delano left those things behind, the murder of Senator Murdock might be traced back to him. Pro assassins much better than Antonio Delano had been caught, and had been known to sing like a canary in order to avoid the death penalty.

"Dante!" he shouted through the closed door of his office. "Dante!"

His office door opened and Dante Domenico entered. "You need something, Boss?"

Benito picked up an ashtray from the desk and hurled it at the wall. Dante had to duck in order to keep from being hit in the head. The glass ashtray shattered into hundreds of pieces and scattered all over the floor.

"Did I do something wrong?"

Corneilo calmed slightly. "No not you, that idiot, Delano screwed up the hit."

Dante had not learned anything besides what he had heard and saw on the television. He knew from the news that Ironside had been assigned to find Murdock's killer. In a calming voice, he attempted to keep his boss from flying off the handle. He knew if that happened, he would strike out at the nearest person to him, and right now that was Dante. He did not want to get killed for something someone else did. "What do you mean he screwed it up?"

"He left his clothes and the gun in the trash can in a building near the hit site! Can you believe it? He is supposed to be a pro. I could have hired any street thug to kill Murdock and got that kind of job."

"Boss, this presents a problem," Dante said before being interrupted.

"You bet your ass it does. The news has already reported that Ironside has been put in charge of the investigation. That damn cripple is no ordinary cop! I swear he can solve cases with no evidence, let alone having been handed the gun and clothes on a silver platter."

"I don't mean to add to your problems but he also is protecting Ava. If she sings ..."

"She won't!" he shouted.

Dante knew he was on a slippery slope when it came to Ava. Benito just was not reasonable. Why didn't he just use women the way the rest of the boys did? Falling for them only caused problems. "Look, Benito, I have it from a pretty good source that she is hot and heavy with Ironside's sergeant." When he saw Corneilo's face turn red, he knew he was about to lose his temper. He put his hands up, palms facing his boss. "I know how you feel about her, but what if she talks to Ironside? How do we really know how much she knows about the business? She never acted like she was interested. Do you really want to chance that she wasn't just acting dumb? Benito, if she had not turned on you, Ironside would have nothing to hold her on. Yet, he has her protected and in hiding. One of our boys saw her at police headquarters today."

Corneilo walked around the desk and sat down heavily in the chair. He put his head in his hands. "I love her, Dante."

"I know you do but she has turned on you."

Running his hands town his face, he said, "It appears that she has. You are right, Ironside would have released her by now. We can't take the chance that she will talk to him. Maybe she already has. If so, it is more imperative that she be silenced. She cannot be allowed to testify in court if Ironside thinks he has enough evidence to take it to the district attorney."

Dante decided to go for broke before Corneilo changed his mind. "I will find her and take care of her for you."

"No, I have another job for you. Have someone we can depend on find her and pick her up."

"Boss ... "

"Look, I know you are right and we will kill her, but I have to see her first."

Domenico figured that was about the best he could hope for. "Okay, I will put one of the boys on it. Now what is this other job you want me to do?"

"I want you to go to Las Vegas and kill Antonio Delano. Ironside will find him and he will talk. The only loyalty he had to us was the money he made. That will be gone after Ironside arrests him."

"This one will be a pleasure," Dante said. He could not stand the arrogant jackass. He had been right about him all along. He was no professional. What kind of idiot leaves the kill weapon and the clothes he wore at the scene? Benito used this guy for kills one too many times. He was right, if Ironside got his hands on him, not only would he take down Benito but he would go down with him as well. That made it even more imperative that he take Delano out. "Shall I book a flight to Las Vegas immediately?"

"It is already booked." Benito reached into the middle desk drawer and pulled out an envelope. Handing it to Dante, he said, "Do this right or we all go down in a ball of fire."

"Yeah, a ball of fire named Ironside." After taking the tickets from Corneilo, Dante looked into his eyes. "You need to rethink what you are going to do about Ava. She can hurt us just as badly as Delano. I know you care for her, Benito, but no broad is worth losing everything. Broads are a dime a dozen. You would be better off to just have it done and not see her." Without giving Corneilo a chance to say anything, he left his office hoping he gave him something to think about. Their very lives could depend on it.

10.3

Sergeant Ed Brown handed his boarding pass to the agent at the airport. She ran it under the scanner and gave it back to him. Smiling at the detective, she told him, "Enjoy your flight, sir."

Ed smiled back at her, took his boarding pass from her and headed down the ramp. Up ahead of him, he noticed a man that looked familiar. He had only just gotten a glimpse of him when he turned his head, but he was sure he had seen him before. Realizing he would only bring attention to himself if he tried to press his way past other passengers, Brown did not try to increase his pace. He stayed behind others boarding the plane while trying to keep an eye on the man who had caught his attention.

Entering the plane, he was greeted by smiling flight attendants welcoming him aboard. He returned the smile, continued down the narrow aisle of the plane searching for his seat. Up ahead, the man he had been watching was putting his carry on in the overhead compartment. Having spotted his own seat about fifteen rows closer to the front of the plane, Ed lifted his suitcase and put it in the bin above. He glanced back, and his mystery man turned around preparing to take his seat. Although the man had not noticed the sergeant, Ed got a good look at him. He was about his height, but quite a bit heavier than Brown's lean frame.

As a policeman, Ed had forever burned the images of many crooks, thugs and criminals into his memory. It quite often came in handy in his line of work. This was one of those times. This face was one, whose image was not only familiar, but one that was relevant to the current case. Dante Domenico ... Benito Corneilo's right-hand man. What was he doing on this flight, a flight to Las Vegas? Did it have anything to do with Delano?

Making a quick decision, he decided he should inform Chief Ironside. He pulled his cellphone from his pocket and turned it on. After thinking about it, he decided he did not want his conversation overheard by any of the passengers around him. It was better they did not know who they were traveling with. Instead, he pulled out a small notebook and a pen from his suit coat pocket. He jotted down a message.

 _Chief,_

 _Just discovered Dante Domenico is aboard the same flight to Las Vegas. I intend to follow him. He might lead me to Antonio Delano._

 _Ed_

He waited until the flight attendant came down the aisle closing the overhead bins. As she approached, Ed pulled his police detective's badge out of his pocket. Catching her attention, he opened the leather cover containing the badge, and showed it to her. He addressed her as quietly as he dared. "Sergeant Brown, San Francisco police. I need to get a message to Chief Robert Ironside at Headquarters, and I don't want to use my cellphone.

The attendant, having recognized the handsome detective from television news, where he quite often accompanied Ironside; took the paper from his outstretched hand. "I will ask the captain to send your message."

Allowing the other flight attendants to complete the cabin check, she turned and walked back to the cockpit. The door was still open, so she stepped inside. "Captain, a police detective is aboard the plane. He handed me this message and asked that it be sent to Chief Ironside. He did not want to use his cell phone. I don't think he wanted to be overheard."

Captain Steele took the paper from her and read it. He whistled, catching the co-pilot's attention. "What is it, Jim?"

Steele handed the message to his co-pilot. "Send that message to Robert Ironside at Police Headquarters."

David Baron read the message. "Who are these guys? Why are they so important?"

"Who? Ironside or Domenico," the captain asked.

"I know who Ironside is. Who are the other two?" Baron prepared to send the message.

"Let's just say you would rather have Ironside deal with them," Captain Steele replied.

10.4

Dante Domenico hoped he had contained his recognition of Ed Brown. He tried to give the impression that he had not noticed the cop, but he was not kidding himself. Brown had seen him. No doubt Ironside would have schooled him in a Whose Who of Benito's men. Was it a coincidence that he and the cop were on the same flight? He didn't think so. Had Ava known more about the operation than she let on? Dante had to go on the assumption that she did, and that she had spilled her gut to Ironside.

Ironside must have Brown following him, hoping to be led to Antonio Delano, in order to get something on Corneilo. He didn't care why the cop was on the same flight. He was certain that Ironside's detective knew he was on the flight and that he had seen him.

It looked like he had more than one man to deal with while in Las Vegas. He would determine if Brown was following him. If he was, he would deal with him first. Then he would kill Delano. What difference did it make whether he had to kill one or two men. He would do whatever it took to protect Benito and the organization.

TBC...

*Refers to the Ironside episode, "Memories of an Ice Cream Stick."

A/N: Sorry for the long delay. It just seems to be one thing after another. Before Christmas, I had to have emergency surgery and spent the Holidays in the hospital. Recovery has been slow, but I am beginning to feel up to writing again.


	11. Chapter 11

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 11

11.1

Lieutenant Carl Reese entered Chief Ironside's office and came down the ramp. He looked around. He was used to Mark Sanger handing him a cup of coffee as soon as he reached the bottom of the ramp. He received no coffee, and Mark Sanger was no where to be seen. "Where's Mark?"

In his usual gruff tone, Ironside reported, "He is having the van checked out." He noticed Carl looking toward the kitchen. "This is not Starbucks, you know."

Carl shook his head. It was almost scary the way the chief seemed to be able to read minds. How did he know he was thinking about a cup of coffee? "Mark usually pours me a cup when I come in." He looked at the table and noticed Ironside was not drinking coffee. The chief always had a cup in front of him.

"Mark is not here and I am not making coffee for you, but I'll make you a deal, Reese. If you make a pot, I'll let you have a cup."

Carl grinned and headed into the kitchen. After setting up the drip coffee maker, he reached into the cupboard and pulled down two coffee mugs. Each one had the letters 'SFPD' on the side of the cup. He waited in silence until the coffee was ready, and pour it into the two cups. He then headed back to the table and set one down in front of Ironside.

The chief picked up the mug and took a sip of the newly made coffee. He immediately crinkled his face. "This is worse than Mark's."

After drinking some of his brew, with a look of surprise, Reese defended his coffee making skills. "It tastes just fine to me."

Ironside slid his mug across the table toward Carl. "Then you drink the entire pot. I would rather not get sick on what you call coffee."

Carl grinned. "Alright, Chief. What's the matter? You always complain about the coffee when something is bothering you."

"Benito Corneilo, that's what is bothering me. I know he had Senator Murdock murdered, but nailing him for it is not going to be easy."

Reese put his cup down on the table. He pulled his smartphone out of his pocket and brought up a note taking application. "I have some news for you on that."

"Why didn't you say so when you came in?" Ironside growled.

Ignoring the chief, he said, "We found the shooter that was firing from the building."

"Dead," Ironside surmised.

"That's right, Chief."

"Has he been identified?"

Carl looked at his notes "He was a small-time hood that was known to run errands for Benito Corneilo. Name of Lucus Fouchey."

"In other words, a dead end," Ironside said.

"Right."

The door to the office opened and Officer Eve Whitfield came in. "Where's Mark?"

"Having the van checked out. You will have to get your own coffee. Reese made it. It is worse than Mark's," the chief growled.

Eve smiled. How bad the chief claimed the coffee was an indication of his mood. She poured herself a cup, and joined Reese and Ironside at the table.

The chief looked at his policewoman and knew instantly that she would not be a treasure full of information. "Well?"

"The vehicle Delano used to get to the airport was found. We dusted for fingerprints ..."

"And there weren't any," Ironside finished for her.

"That's right, Chief. There wasn't a single fingerprint found anywhere in or on that vehicle," she reported.

"At least we have his prints on the registration application from the motel," Carl said, "and the clerk identified Delano as the man that checked in. Do we have him in protective custody," Reese asked.

Eve cringed as she knew what Ironside's response was going to be. She glanced over at him and saw the look on his face as did Carl.

"We have him under protective custody," Carl said when he saw the look Ironside was giving him. "Then we have two witnesss, the clerk and Ava Blake."

"It won't do us much good unless we pick up Delano," Eve pointed out. "We can't keep them in protective custody forever."

"Turning them loose would sign their death warrants," Carl said.

"We aren't going to turn them loose, and we will keep them in protective custody for as long as it takes," Ironside snarled. "Ed will pick up Delano."

"Ed? You sent him to pick up Delano with the condition he is in?" Carl questioned.

Ironside gave Reese another one of those looks that would make his own staff want to crawl into a hole. "He was pronounced fit for duty by a doctor. What reason would you have stopped him from being assigned the duty, Doctor Reese?"

Carl put up his hands in surrender. "You are the boss, Chief."

"You might try to remember that," Ironside growled.

The door to the office opened and a uniformed police officer entered. "Chief Ironside, I have a message for you that came from the flight Sergeant Brown is on." He handed the message to Ironside and left the office.

"What is it, Chief? Eve asked.

"It's from Ed. Dante Domenico is on the same flight as Ed. He is going to follow him to see if he leads him to Antonio Delano." Ironside frowned. One of those men were dangerous enough let alone two of them. He didn't like it. He had no doubt Domenico had been sent to Las Vegas to eliminate Delano.

"Chief, if Domenico was on that plane, it could only mean one thing," Eve said.

"He was sent to kill Delano," Ironside finished for her.

"Then Ed could have a run-in with two killers," Carl said. "This is not good, Chief."

"Hopefully Ed will have the good sense to call the Las Vegas Police Department, and get help bringing in Delano."

"If Domenico succeeds in killing Delano, our case against Corneilo will go right out the window," Eve pointed out.

"Eve, get the Las Vegas Police Department on the phone," Ironside ordered.

11.2

Ed Brown got off the plane keeping his distance from Dante Domenico. A couple times he had to duck behind other travelers to keep Domenico from seeing him. Ordinarily, Brown would have rented a car, but he did not want to lose him. He was certain the man would lead him to Antonio Delano.

The sergeant followed him through the terminal to the pick-up area outside. Domenico hailed a taxi and got inside. Quickly, Ed waved down a taxi and opened the door. He slid his suitcase across the seat and got in.

"Where to, buddy?" the grizzled driver demanded.

"Just follow that taxi, the one that just pulled away," Brown told him.

The driver pulled put the taxi in gear and moved behind the cab in front of him. "Listen, Mister, I make my money by driving people to and from the airport. If this is going to take time, you are going to need to find another cab."

Ed reached inside his suit coat pocket and pulled out his San Francisco detective badge. He opened the leather case it was contained in, and flashed it in front of the taxi driver. "Just stay behind him, but don't get too close." He made sure he did not give the driver time to see that he was not a cop from the area.

Complaining under his breath, but still loud enough for Ed to hear, he guided the vehicle through the busy streets. Brown could tell the cab driver had experience following other vehicles as he skillfully remained a distance behind the taxi in front of them, yet never losing sight of it.

Ed looked out the window. He had been in Las Vegas before, but it always seemed he came here on police business. Just once he would like to come to this city, with a little cash, and go to one of the casinos to gamble away the money; but not much money. He could not afford to spend that much on his policeman's payroll. Maybe he should have been a private detective. His Los Angeles friend seemed to make a very good living as a private-eye. However, his top client just happened to be the most successful criminal lawyer in the country. Ed doubted he would be that lucky to find such a lucrative client. Besides, he would not have had the training and wisdom from one, Robert T. Ironside. Maybe it was not such a good idea after all. Everything he had learned about detective work came from the chief. What kind of detective would he have been without him?

"Hey, buddy, how much longer do you expect me to follow this guy?" the driver complained.

"Just stay behind him. You are getting paid," Ed said. He watched as the cab driver in front led them to the Vegas strip. There was no better place for Delano to hide than in Las Vegas. With the number of people that came to this city on a regular basis, looking for someone was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

The cab pulled up in front of the MGM Grand Hotel. Ed tapped the driver's shoulder. "I'll get out here." Brown glanced at the meter, added a generous tip and removed the money from his wallet. "Thanks."

The driver looked at the extra money Brown had given him, and his eyes lit up. "Gee, thanks, Mister." He pulled the cab back into the street and headed back to the airport.

Ed, carrying his suitcase, walked over to the sidewalk and stood there with his back to Delano as he went into the MGM Grand. As soon as he was inside, Sergeant Brown followed him into the hotel. He got as close as he could without revealing his presence. Ed was able to hear Delano's conversation with the clerk. The assassin had rented a suite. Brown was able to obtain the suite number through the conversation.

He stopped following Delano, figuring he would be able to find him when necessary. Approaching the clerk, he said, "I would like a room, please."

"We had a cancellation if you are interested in a suite," the clerk informed him.

Knowing how the chief would feel about him spending the city's money on an entire suite, he decided against it. "No thanks, a room with one double bed would be fine."

The clerk nodded and handed Ed a form to fill out. He completed registering and took his key card. "The gentleman that registered ahead of me; he looked familiar. I have seen him some place before."

"Oh, you mean Mister Beckman? If you frequent the MGM, you have probably seen him around here. He practically lives here. Spends a lot of time in the casino."

That's Dante Beckman, isn't it?

"No, Daniel Beckman, the clerk corrected.

"I guess I don't know him after all. I really thought I did. Well, I think I will head up to my room." Ed smiled and picked up his suitcase. He had gotten the information he needed. The chief would want to know what name Domenico was registered under.

"Sir, we have a porter that takes care of that."

"Oh, that's alright. I can handle it myself. Thanks anyway." Ed turned and left the clerk. Heading for the elevators, he kept a watchful eye on the people around him. It was imperative that he did not run directly into Dante Domenico.

He rode the elevator up to his floor, which was one floor below Domenico's suite. Before going to his room, Sergeant Brown checked for another elevator to use, wanting to avoid the one the assassin would be using. After he located it, he headed back to his room.

Dante Domenico had waited out of sight while Ironside's cop registered. He smiled when he heard Brown ask about him. He had followed him from the airport just as Dante had planned. Now he had to find the right time to lure Brown somewhere he could take him out.

He waited at the elevator until it stopped. Dante took note of the floor Brown was on. He pressed the button to recall the elevator. When it arrived, he got on and selected the sergeant's floor. He did not want to run into the San Francisco cop just yet. If he did, it would simply change his plans. The elevator door opened, and he poked his head out to make sure Brown was not close by. He spotted him coming down the hall.

Dante prepared to press the button that would close the elevator door. It became unnecessary when Brown turned down the cross-hall. Domenico quietly moved through the corridor and stopped just before he reached the hall the cop had gone down. He peaked around the corner in time to see Brown put his key card in the lock and enter his room. Dante turned away and headed back to the elevator.

He had to decide what to do about Sergeant Ed Brown. Maybe he should call Benito. He would feel better if he got his permission first. He did not want to anger him; many of his men had done so, and he had had them killed in a fit of anger.

He arrived back at his suite and used the key card to gain entrance. He pulled the gun from the shoulder holster and tossed it on the bed. Using a throw-a-way cellphone, he dialed Benito's number."

Corneilo did not waste his time on customary greetings. "Tell me the son of a bitch is dead."

"Not yet, Boss, I just arrived. Give me a little time."

Benito growled into the phone. "Time is something we don't have, Dante. If Ironside gets his hands on him, he will sing like a bird to keep from getting the death penalty."

"I know that, but Ironside is not going to get his hands on him. I have no intentions of letting that happen. We do have another problem, though."

"Don't tell me about problems! Just get results. Make sure the bastard is dead!"

Domenico had to get him to calm down. This was one problem that had to be dealt with. "Benito, listen to me. We have a problem, and you do need to hear it."

There was silence on the other end of the phone. He was sure he had finally gotten through to him. When he spoke, his voice was calm. "What's the problem?"

"Ironside is the problem. One of his men was on the same flight to Vegas."

"Damn it! Damn Delano! That was supposed to be a professional job, and that idiot left the gun and clothes behind. If Ironside's man is in Las Vegas, then enough evidence was left behind for that cripple to send a man to arrest him. Dante, he will turn on us to save himself. You have to find him and waste him."

"I will find him. You can count on it. I will start first thing in the morning. But I don't want to lead Brown to him. I made sure he followed me from the airport simply so I would know where to find him. Do you want me to waste him as well?"

"The last thing I want to do is kill him. Ironside will never stop coming after us, but I don't see where we have a choice. Since he knows you are there, he also knows why you are in Vegas. Brown will use you to lead him to Delano. Kill him."

"It will be my pleasure. Ironside has been a thorn in our side for years."

Benito hung up the phone and thought about the repercussions of killing Brown. If Domenico thought he was a thorn in their side now, just wait until they wasted Brown. Maybe there was another way. Maybe Brown would serve a purpose after all. No, he was there to pick up Delano, and they could not allow that. Besides, they had been able to outsmart Ironside so far; why would it be any different in the future? He could not let Brown pick up Delano. Benito had made the correct decision. They had to get rid of Brown.

11.3

"Captain Gillis," the Veges police detective answered the ringing phone on his desk.

"Vince, Bob Ironside."

"Bob! It is good to hear from you. It has been a long time," Gillis said with excitement. Bob Ironside was one of his favorite people. He had met him at a police convention and spent a lot of time with him. Due to his reputation, the captain had adopted a lot of his methods. His own detectives called him the Las Vegas Ironside. It was a nic name he enjoyed. He had not seen Bob in quite a while. In fact, this was the first time he had heard from him in several months. "We need to get together, Bob. When are you coming to Vegas?"

"When are you coming to San Francisco?" Ironside countered.

Vince laughed. That was Ironside's way of saying, ' _You are just as capable of getting in touch with me.' "_ Okay, we both have been lax with keeping up. How have you been?"

"Just great," the detective said, his voice tainted with impatience.

Vince could tell this was not just a social call. "What's going on, Bob?"

"Obviously, you are finally becoming a detective," Ironside said sarcastically. "It is about time you earn your pay."

"Are you going to tell me what is going on?"

"My sergeant, you met him; Ed Brown is in Las Vegas. I would like you to help him."

"Of course, Bob. What is it he needs?" Vince asked.

"He is there to find and arrest Antonio Delano," Ironside answered.

So that was it. It was all coming together now. Vince was certain he knew exactly what was going on. "He was hired to kill Senator Murdock?"

"That's right. I don't want Ed going after him alone."

"I don't blame you. He is just about the best there is in the business. I assume you have the evidence that he killed Murdock?"

"Of course I do. Otherwise I would not be arresting him."

Gillis could hear the irritation in Ironside's voice. "I can't believe he slipped up. He is always so thorough. No one has been able to nail him up to now."

"No killer is perfect. They all make mistakes eventually. There is no perfect crime. My policewoman recognized him. She went after him. Once we had him made, he had to hurry. He left behind enough evidence to convict him. I have witnesses."

"Okay, Bob. I think I can help you out. I know where he is. We keep a pretty close eye on him. Where is your sergeant now?"

"I haven't been able to reach him. I don't think he turned his cellphone back on after he got off the flight, but he did send me a message from the plane. Dante Domenico was on that flight, and he intended to follow him to see if he would lead him to Delano," Ironside informed him.

"If Domenico is here, it is for one reason only ... "

"To silence Delano," Ironside finished for him.

"I'll get right on it, and I will handle this one myself," Vince said.

"And when you find Sergeant Brown, tell him to report in," Ironside requested.

"Will do. I will call you when we have Delano in custody."

11.4

The phone rang in Ed Brown's hotel room. He picked it up. He wondered who that could be. No one knew he was in this hotel room. Ironside must have found out where he was. He was a detective after all. Ed picked up the phone and said, "Hi Chief."

"Actually my official title is Captain," Vince Gillis said.

"Oh, you must be Captain Gillis," Ed surmised.

"That's right. Your chief has been trying to reach you. Your cellphone is turned off."

"Yes, I forgot to turn it back on."

"He told me to tell you to contact him," Vince told him.

"I intended to as soon as I got settled in. Did he update you on why I am here?" Ed asked.

"Yes, he did. I told him that I would help you. I know where Antonio Delano is. I have sent officers to surround the house that he is staying in. Be out front of your hotel in ten minutes and I will pick you up. Make sure you bring the warrant with you so we can arrest Delano."

"I'll have it with me." Ed hung up the phone. He checked his service revolver, grabbed his key card and went out the door. Heading for the elevator on the other side of the floor, his pace was swift and confident. He had not expected it to be this easy to locate Delano. Obviously, the chief had called Captain Gillis.

As he rode down the elevator, he wondered if his boss had doubts as to whether he could bring Delano in by himself. Although his body was still stiff and sore from the beating he had taken at the hands of Corneilo's thugs, Ed felt he was nearly one-hundred percent.

The elevator opened and Brown stepped into the lobby, and headed straight out the door. He looked down the street and saw a car pulling to a stop at the curb.

Captain Vince Gillis spotted Ed as he came toward the MGM. He recognized Brown from pictures in the papers of Robert Ironside when Ed had accompanied him.

"Sergeant Brown?"

Ed did not know Vincent Gillis, and considering the reason he was here in Las Vegas, he decided he needed confirmation. "Captain Gillis, can I see some identification."

Gillis stepped out of the car, reached into his suit pocket and pulled out his detective's badge. He extended it to Ed. After scrutinizing it, Brown was satisfied he was who he said he was.

"Come on, Sergeant, let's go. My men are waiting for us."

Ed got into the Chevrolet sedan and shut the door. "So you talked to the chief, I take it."

"Yes, I did. I got the impression he was worried about you. Any particular reason why?"

Ed had no desire to go into the beating he had endured. "Probably he just didn't like me going after a professional assassin without backup," Ed said, disappointed the chief did not trust him to pick Delano up on his own.

They drove the rest of the way in silence before reaching a street, that Ed noticed had several uniformed police officers. Captain Gillis pulled his car to a stop and got out. Ed exited the vehicle on the other side.

A policeman met both of them as they stepped up to the sidewalk. "Captain, we have the house surrounded. There is no way anyone can get past us."

"Do we know that Delano is inside?" Ed asked.

The officer looked at Ed and said, "Whose this?"

"Sergeant Ed Brown. He works for Chief Robert Ironside in San Francisco. He has a warrant for Delano's arrest." The police officer nodded seemingly satisfied by the response.

"You didn't answer my question," Ed said. "Do we know if he is inside."

"Yes, he is. One of our boys spotted him through the window."

Captain Gillis looked at Ed. "Well, let's go in and get him."

Vince Gillis and Ed Brown pulled their service revolvers and headed down the street.

TBC...

"


	12. Chapter 12

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 12

12.1

The house that Antonio Delano was in was surrounded by Las Vegas police. Ed felt a little better about the chief contacting Captain Gillis. At first, he did not think the chief had trusted him to pick him up on his own. If the truth be told, the chief never picked up dangerous criminals with only one officer. He always had back up. He knew he was just being sensitive since the beating he had taken. Ironside had allowed him to be the one to bring Delano back. He could have sent Carl.

As they reached the front of the house, they remained concealed behind the bushes that ran between the two houses. Captain Gillis glance back to see two of his officers leading the family next door out of their home. "As soon as they are out of harms way, we will move in. I trust you want to go in the front door," he said to Ed.

"Right through the front. I want him to know immediately who is picking him up," Ed responded.

"You?"

"No, Chief Ironside," Ed corrected. "Believe me, as soon as he sees me, he will know that Ironside sent me."

An officer came up quietly behind Gillis and Brown. "Houses on both sides have been evacuated. The are empty, Captain."

"Are we certain of the number of men in the house?" Ed asked.

Six, including Delano," the officer said.

Ed looked around him. Captain Gillis certainly had enough men to do the job. He had to admit, the chief would have done the same. "Well, then what are we waiting for?"

Gillis smiled. Ironside's people obviously did not believe in wasting time, ingrained in them by the San Francisco detective, no doubt.

Captain Gillis gave the order. Through the use of cell phones, they coordinated the entrance in to the house. Under normal circumstances, Gillis would have knocked on the door, but these were not normal circumstances. Leaving police officers outside of both the back and front doors in case Delano got past them, Gillis made sure he would be picked up.

At the same time both sets of police officers kicked in their respective doors and entered the house. Delano's men scrambled for their guns. He put his hand up. "Holster those weapons!" Delano shouted. He turned to Captain Gillis. "I trust you have a warrant to bust in here this way?"

Sergeant Ed Brown stepped forward. "You mean like this?" Brown placed the warrant in Delano's hand and said, "Compliments of Chief Robert T. Ironside."

Delano knew why they were here, but he would deny everything. The key to these type of situations were to let a bright lawyer handle it. "What's the charge, Brown?"

Ed had learned a few things from the chief over the years. He had not quite perfected his poker face but he was getting there. "First degree murder of Senator David Murdock."

Laughing at him, Delano said with a smile, "You are wasting your time. I was right here. Just ask the boys."

"That's right, cop," one of them said, "he was right here with us."

This was Ed Brown's show, but Captain Gillis could not resist. "Really? I will remember you said that. We followed him as soon as he got off the plane ... from San Francisco. Since you are willing to lie for him, that makes you an accessory after the fact."

Like most small-time hoods, he backed off. "Well, I got here late. I thought he had been here with the rest of the guys."

"I bet you did," Brown said sarcastically.

"I want a lawyer," Delano demanded.

"You'll get one," Brown told him. "In fact, the chief's brother is an attorney. Would you like to give him a call. Oh wait, he doesn't defend scum like you."

Delano just grinned. "Do you have any idea what you are doing, Brown?" His tone of voice left no doubt what he was saying.

"Are you threatening Sergeant Brown?" Captain Willis asked.

"Why, of course not," Delano said innocently. "I am simply questioning his competence." His friends laughed.

It did not affect Ed in the least. He knew who was going to have the last laugh. He stared right back at the hood, knowing they had him this time.

"You have nothing on me, Brown," Delano said.

"You think so?" Ed asked. "I got news for you Delano. We have enough to put you away for live or better yet, get you the death penalty."

Delano's composure slipped a bit. He knew he had left the clothes in the bathroom of that business building. Had Ironside's people found them? It would not matter if they found the car. He had left no prints and had used a phony driver's license to rent it. The clothes ... they would be enough to get him convicted if they could tie his DNA to them.

Brown's power of observation had improved over the years due to working for Ironside. It had to, or he would not be working for him. The chief expected his officers to constantly improve. If they didn't, they would not work for him very long. Because of it, he had not missed the slight change in Delano's expression.

"Take him away, Captain," Brown told Gillis.

Gillis displayed some surprise. He had been expecting the sergeant to take immediate custody of him. "You don't want to take him now?" he inquired?

"No. Let's take him to Police Headquarters where I can interrogate him."

As Delano's men began to leave the room, Gillis' men stopped them. The captain looked over at them. "And just where do you think you guys are going?"

"We had nothing to do with Murdock's murder. You have no reason to hold us," one of them said.

"No? Tell me boys, those firearms you are carrying, you have permits for them?" None of them said anything. "That's what I thought. Read them their rights and book them for carrying concealed weapons without a permit.

The police got busy cuffing them and reading them their rights. Delano was led out of the house by one of Gillis' men. After being placed in the police cruiser, Ed got in the back with him.

Delano stared at the detective. "You really have no idea what you are doing, do you Brown?"

Ed turned his head toward the assassin. "I know exactly what I am doing. I am taking you off the streets so that you cannot kill again."

"Kill again? I have not killed anyone," Delano insisted.

"Yeah right," Ed said dryly. "You screwed up, Antonio. This time you are going away for life."

Delano said nothing further. He rode the rest of the way to police headquarters in complete silence. He was worried, but he would not let Brown know it; he would not give him the satisfaction.

When they arrived at headquarters, Ed guided Delano out of the car. The officer that had driven the cruiser said, "I will take him from here, Sergeant."

"Thank you, but he is my prisoner. I will take him," Ed insisted.

The officer watched Brown lead Antonio away. He caught the attention of another officer and called out, "I have to take a leak, I'll be right back." The cop nodded in acknowledgement.

Officer Bryan Stillman looked around and then headed for the closest bathroom. After checking the stalls, he pulled his cellphone out of his pocket. Without looking into his contacts, which he knew he would not find this particular number, he pressed the numbers of the person he wanted to call. Bryan waited for an answer.

"Mister Corneilo's office," the secretary announced.

"This is Jabber. Put me through to Benito," Stillman requested.

Being familiar with the fact that there were many people who called and used fictitious names, she put him on hold and called Benito. "Mister Corneilo, Jabber is on the phone for you."

Officer Bryan Stillman was transferred to Corneilo. He had been on the take for sometime and informed Benito anytime the police were investigating him; who was doing it, and how close they were to getting something on him. Benito would then order the killing of whoever the cop was that was stupid enough to try to interfere with his empire. He had moved into Las Vegas recently, and it had become imperative that he knew what was going on there. Since his operation had made him a very rich man, he could afford to have one of the Vegas cops on his payroll.

"What is it, Bryan?" he asked.

"Ironside's man enlisted the help of Captain Gillis. They have Delano. Brown will be taking him back to San Francisco as soon as the proper paperwork is processed."

There was silence on the other end of the phone. Damn it! Dante had failed to silence him! "Thanks, Bryan. Anything else?"

"Yeah, Brown is about to interrogate him."

"Okay. Find Dante, tell him to call me," Corneilo told him.

"Will do." With that the phone went dead. Officer Bryan Stillman headed for the interrogation room. When he arrived, he went into the room that allowed him to watch and hear the interrogation, with the help of a two way glass and intercom system. Ed Brown was in the room with Antonio Delano.

Sergeant Brown pulled up a chair on the other side of the table. He sat down and stared at Delano. After a few moments of trying to intimidate him, he realized he just did not have the same effect on criminals as Chief Ironside. He would have them squirming in their seats. Ed did not see any noticeable difference in Delano's demeanor.

"What will it be, Delano? Are you going down alone or do you want to take Corneilo with you?"

"Go to hell, Brown. You have nothing on me," Delano snarled.

Ed grinned. "Do you have any idea how patient Chief Ironside has been. He as been waiting for you to screw up, and this time you have done so ... big time."

"Bullshit, Brown. You must really be stupid if you think I am going to fall for this. In forty-eight hours, you will have to release me. You are bluffing."

"Am I? Do you really think Chief Ironside is bluffing. Let me lay it all out for you. First of all, you were careless. We have the disguise you left in that trashcan. Your DNA is all over the wig. Did you really think you could keep from leaving traces of your own hair on that wig?" Brown watched him but Delano did not even flinch.

"If that is all you got, you are wasting my time. Why don't you save yourself the trouble and release me?"

"Oh, that is not all we have, Antonio. We have a witness that saw that dragon ring you wear. We can prove that the design is your family crest. We also have the gun that you shot the senator with. I am sure the ballistic test is back by now. It will show that it was the gun that fired the fatal bullet, you know that. And, your fingerprints are all over the gun. That was confirmed the minute they took your prints after you were arrested. The hotel clerk will identify you as having checked in under a phony name. We have plenty, enough to get you the death penalty."

Delano knew they had him. If only that damn police woman had not spotted him, he would have performed a perfect hit. They forced him to make a mistake by rushing him. Now, they had him on a murder one rap, and he knew it.

He knew the San Francisco District attorney would ask for the death penalty, that was a given. If he betrayed Benito Corneilo, he would find a way to get to him. If he went to prison, he would constantly have someone trying to collect the money Benito would offered to have him killed. But, if he was in prison, he would have a fighting chance to live.

"What kind of a deal will Ironside give me?" he asked after a long silence.

"Chief Ironside doesn't give deals. If it were up to him, you would face the death penalty, but the district attorney will give you a deal. He has already contacted the chief. The DA will not ask for the death penalty if you help us nail Benito Corneilo. All you will have to do is finger him as the man that paid you to kill Murdock," Ed said.

"I can do better than that; I can give you the money trail that proves he paid me," Delano said.

"Then you will have your deal," Ed told him.

12.2

Dante Domenico had watched Ed Brown and the Las Vegas police arrest, and take Antonio Delano away. He stood by, helpless to do anything about it. There were far to many cops to take a chance. Benito was going to be furious. He had to come up with a solution to this problem. One thing was for sure, Delano was going to do whatever it took to save himself. He would be facing the death penalty; he would know that. Domenico could never stand Delano. He did not understand why the boss did not let him take care of problems. He knew that someday Delano was going to land them in hot water, boiling hot water.

He had left the scene and gone back to his motel room. He dreaded calling Benito with the bad news. He was thankful that he was here in Las Vegas and Benito in San Francisco. When his temper blew, so did his gun.

Dante paced the floor. He tried to think. There had to be a way out of this; there just had to be. He continued to pace when it hit him. Sergeant Ed Brown! That was the way out of it. There was no other solution. He stopped pacing and pulled his cell phone out of his pocket. After dialing Corneilo's number, he waited.

"Mister Corneilo's office."

"This is Dante. Put me through to Benito," he ordered the secretary.

"Right away, Mister Demenico.

He did not have to wait long as Benito's angry voice came on the phone. "Dante, damn it, I thought you were going to take care of Delano. My source at the police department tells me he was arrested and is in custody."

"There was nothing I could do, Boss. I trailed him to a house. I figured I could take care of him there, but there were about five other guys there. I sat in the car to wait them out. I figured they would leave sooner or later. Then Ironside's man showed up with the entire police force."

"Why didn't you waste the bastard when they brought him out?"

"Believe me, I thought of that, but they had him too well surrounded. I could not get a clear shot at him, Dante reported.

"Who gives a damn about the police? You should have shot through them!" Benito shouted.

Dante had never given it a second thought. To have tried shooting Delano through those cops would have been suicide. He never would have gotten away, and he had no intention of being arrested and spending the rest of his life behind bars. He was loyal to Benito, but that was just asking too much. "What do you want me to do?"

"Waste Delano like I sent you there to do!" he angrily shouted into the phone.

I don't see how that is possible, but I have another idea," Dante said.

"What are you talking about?"

"We have always talked about where Ironside's weakness is," Dante began.

"His people. The fool is loyal and cares about his people."

"Exactly. How far do you think he would go to protect Brown?"

Benito was silent for a moment. "What do you have in mind?"

"I could pick up Brown; hold him until Ironside agrees to a trade, Brown for Delano. Once we get Delano, we kill him, and we will be in the clear."

"Do you think you can pull it off? Picking up Brown, that is," Benito asked.

"I don't see why not," Dante answered.

"You could not get Delano," Benito said sarcastically.

Dante was not happy with that last remark. Benito never did any of the dirty work. He always sent someone to do it for him. "I did not have any control over that. Brown and the Las Vegas police had him tailed the minute he got off that plane, but no one is going to be tailing Brown tonight."

Benito was beginning to show some interest. "How do you know he won't get on the next plane to San Francisco? I have no doubt Ironside would request that he get a very large police escort to the airport"

"Ironside is predictable. He won't let Brown leave tonight. He will figure it will be safer to leave in broad daylight. He will think there is less chance we would try anything, too many witnesses around.

"What the hell difference does it make when he leaves? They are still going to give him a police escort tomorrow," Benito growled.

"Probably, but I am not going to go after him while he is on his way to the airport. He will be too well guarded. No, the best time to go after Brown will be tonight. He will leave Delano in jail, and go out on the town tonight. That is when I go after him," Dante said.

Benito was again silent for a moment. "It could work. Where will you hold him?"

"That part is easy. Remember that cave in the desert, the one where we stuffed the last congressman that gave us trouble?"

Benito smiled. "I remember. That's perfect. Okay, you have sold me. Pick up Brown, and don't screw up this time."

Dante hung up the phone. He would wait for Brown to come back to the hotel. The cop would go out tonight to enjoy himself, at least that would be his plan. He would never get the chance.

12.3

The phone in Ironside's office rang. Eve Whitfield left the work she was doing at her boss' desk and reached for the phone beside her. "Chief Ironside's office."

"Eve, it's Ed. Is the chief there?"

"Yes, hold on." She turned to get Ironside's attention. "Ed's on the line."

Ironside grabbed the phone and barked, "Ed, what the hell is going on? Why have you not reported in?"

"I waited until I had some news to tell you. We have Delano in custody," Brown informed him. "And Chief, he spilled his gut. We now have a case against Benito Corneilo."

"Good job! Did he give you much trouble?"

"He really couldn't. Captain Gillis had the house surrounded and stormed the place. There were five other men there, but there was just too many guns on them. Do you want me to get a flight back tonight?" Ed asked, hoping the chief would let him stay overnight. It had been a while since he had been to Las Vegas.

"No, it might be better if you transported him in the daytime; less chance Corneilo will try anything. Take the night off, Ed, and enjoy yourself. Just make sure Vince provides you with officers when you transport Delano to the airport. Don't take any chances with this man. He is a hired killer."

"Right, Chief. I have already arranged for him to be transported in a police vehicle. Captain Gillis will have one car in front and one in back. He is going to see to the transportation of the prisoner himself."

"Good. Tell Vince I appreciate his help, and I will get in touch with him soon," Ironside said.

"Will do. Goodnight, Chief."

"Goodnight, Ed."

Ironside hung up the phone. He turned to Mark and Eve. "I wasn't expecting Ed to catch up with him that quickly." He sat at the table with a worried look on his face, one both Mark and Eve recognized.

"Why the long face, Chief, Ed has him. All he has to do is bring him back here," Mark said.

"Tell him, Eve," Ironside said.

"Benito Corneilo is not going to stand by and do nothing. Once we bring Delano back here, he knows his arrest is not far behind. He has to find a way to silence Antonio Delano," Eve responded.

"It's worse than that," Ironside said.

"What do you mean?" Eve asked.

"Delano told Ed everything. Benito Corneilo cannot afford to let him live either. Even if he was able to get to Delano, Ed could testify against him." He sat there quietly for a minute and then said, "Eve, as soon as Ed calls with his flight number, I want police officers to meet him and Delano at San Francisco International Airport. We will pick up Ed and have patrol cars follow us back. I am putting Ed under police protection.

"Yes, sir."

Robert Ironside was upset with himself. He should not have told Ed to enjoy Las Vegas. What he should have done was order him to stay in his room. Dante Domenico was in the city. If Corneilo found out about Delano being arrested, Ed would be in danger.

The chief picked up the phone and dialed Ed's cellphone. After allowing it to ring several times without an answer, he slammed the phone down. He picked it back up and started dialing Ed's hotel room. "Eve, see if you can get Vince Gillis on the line."

12.3

The cellphone that Sergeant Ed Brown had tossed on the bed began ringing but the detective did not hear it. With the bathroom door closed and the shower running, he did not hear the ringtone.

Brown allowed the hot water to beat down on his still sore body. If felt good and he was in no hurry. He knew the night life went on to the wee hours of the morning. He had plenty of time. He would head for the casino, do a little gambling, and maybe seek out the company of a pretty woman. Of course, it would be just for the company. He really was very interested in Ava Blake.

He was hoping that now that they had Antonio Delano in custody, and soon would have Benito Corneilo in jail, that she would also be willing to testify against him. It was imperative that he be put behind bars for the rest of his life. It was the only way she would ever be safe from his wrath.

Brown stepped out of the shower, grabbed the towel and dried his wet body. Wrapping the towel around his waist, he opened the bathroom door.

"Hello, Sergeant, " Dante Domenico said. "You sure take long showers."

Ed looked up to see Domenico sitting in a chair holding a gun on him.

TBC ...


	13. Chapter 13

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 13

Brown considered reaching for his gun, but knew it would only bring about his death. He had to figure out a way to disarm Dante Domenico. The chief was expecting him to bring Antonio Delano back to San Francisco, and he did not want to disappoint him. "What do you want, Domenico?"

Dante smiled. "You can't possibly be that dumb, Brown. You work for Ironside. He would not tolerate a dumb cop in his office. You know what I want… Delano."

"What do you expect me to do? Take you to Captain Gillis and tell him to release him to you?" Ed said, sarcastically. Hanging around the chief was having an effect on him. He was becoming almost as sarcastic as his boss.

"Don't be ridiculous. That is not what I had in mind at all. You are coming with me."

"And if I refuse?" Ed asked, knowing he couldn't.

Dante sat in the chair with a smirk on his face. "You won't. You like living too much. If I don't get what I want, you are a dead man."

Ed glanced at his service revolver. Domenico followed his eyes. "I wouldn't if I were you. You would be dead before you even touched it. Face it, Brown. You have no choice but to do what I want."

Sergeant Brown decided to keep him talking until an opportunity presented itself to disarm him. He had no other options. Domenico was right; trying to retrieve his firearm was not practical. He had a gun pointed directly at him. Domenico would shoot him, and he would get away with it. There was a silencer on the barrel of the gun. No one would be the wiser to the shooting.

"Alright, you are calling the shots," Ed said. "Now what?"

"That's better. We are going for a ride. If you behave yourself, you may just come out of this alive. If you don't, well, let's just say there is plenty of desert to bury your body. Ironside will never find it."

Ed half-smiled. "You underestimate Chief Ironside. He never stops until he finds what he wants."

"Unfortunately, that is a problem that we recognize. That is why I am here, but you had to mess things up," Domenico said.

"You mean Antonio Delano," Ed surmised.

"That's right. If you had just stayed out of it, I would have handled him for Chief Ironside."

"Kill him, you mean," Ed said with disgust.

"After the way he botched the job, he deserves it," Domenico said.

Ed realized Domenico had no intentions of letting him out of this alive. If he had, he would not be revealing the information he was giving him. Ed was in big trouble and he knew it. He said nothing more. There was nothing to say.

Domenico stood up, keeping the gun aimed at Ed's chest. "I am only going to warn you once, Brown. I will have this gun in my coat pocket, and it will be aimed directly at you. If you cause a problem, I will take you out before I am taken out. I may fail at what I am here for, but I will have the satisfaction of knowing I killed you. I won't hesitate; I just as soon shoot you as to look at you. Are we clear?"

"We're clear," Ed answered.

"Good, get dressed and let's go." Ed did as he was told. He put his clothes on. Domenico waved his gun toward the door, indicating Ed leave the room. Brown again did as instructed.

Out in the hall, an elderly lady was searching the room numbers. When she spotted Brown and Domenico, she hurried over to them. "Can you boys help me, I can't find my room."

Domenico gave the sergeant a warning glare. He looked over to the old woman and then patted his pocket where his hand was inserted, holding the gun. Ed knew he was telling him that he would kill the old lady if he tried anything.

Brown took the paper she held in her hand showing the room number. He realized immediately she was on the wrong floor. He smiled at her and said, "Your room is one floor up."

A bit embarrassed, she smiled sheepishly. "Thank you, young man." She turned away from them and headed for the elevator.

"Very good, Sergeant. You may live through this if you keep behaving like that," Domenico remarked. Ed knew better.

They rode the elevator down to the lobby in silence. Brown continued to run scenarios through his mind, trying to create an opportunity out of his current predicament. The doors opened to a very busy lobby. Ed felt Domenico press the barrel of the gun into his back.

"Be cool, Brown. You don't want to get people killed, including yourself. Head for the parking lot."

Ed did as he was told, taking direction from Dante Domenico. When they arrived at a Chrysler Town and Country van, Dante announced, "That's far enough." He wrapped his knuckles on the side door. It immediately opened, and two burly-sized men stepped out. Both were supporting guns, stuck in the waist of their suit pants. Each man took an arm on both sides of Brown.

"Get in, Sergeant," Domenico ordered. Having no choice, Ed did as he was told. He sat down and one of the men got in directly beside him. One of them placed a black hood over his head. Dante got into the passenger seat in the front.

"Alright, Louie, head for the desert," Domenico told him.

Ed began to worry. Why the desert? Was Domenico going to kill him right now? That didn't make sense. Why not just do it in the room? No, he didn't think he intended to kill him just yet. All he could do was sit there and wait to find out what his fate would be.

xxxx

Robert Ironside checked his watch for the fifth time and stared at the phone. Why hadn't Ed called? He was supposed to be on a plane this morning with the prisoner. He always called him before departing, just to let Ironside know that everything was going as planned. It was unlike Ed not to call him. His plane was scheduled to leave in about ten minutes.

Eve looked up from her paperwork. "Chief, it looks like everything is in order. The DNA test from the hair they got off that wig match that of Antonio Delano."

Ironside looked up skeptically. "How could we possibly know that? I am not aware there was ever a DNA test taken on Delano."

Eve was grinning from ear to ear. It was not often she knew something her boss did not. "Paris, France, Chief. He did a hit there, some prominent business man. The man got off a shot with a shotgun before Delano killed him. It went wild, but hit Delano in the leg. He went to a doctor that treated French mafia guys. When the doctor was done treating him, Delano refused to pay. He threaten the doctor who did take to it very well. He reported to the police that Delano forced him at gun point to treat him. They were able to retrieve the blood-covered bullet that the doctor removed from Delano's leg."

"How the blazes did he get out of the country then?" Ironside asked.

"He had a plane reservation. They were watching the airport, but apparently neglected to cover the buses. He took a bus out of the country and a private plane back to the United States."

"Where did you get all that information?" Ironside asked.

Eve smirked. "I'm a detective." She turned away from Ironside so he would not see the grin that had spread across her face.

The phone rang, but before Ironside could pick it up, Eve grabbed it and said, "Chief Ironside's office." She listened for a moment. Ironside watched her face go from what he knew was triumph for knowing something he didn't, to deep concern. Eve put her hand over the mouth piece and said, "Chief, Ed is missing."

The chief snatched up the phone at his desk and barked, "Ironside."

"Bob, Vince here. I am calling because I am concerned," Captain Gillis said.

"About what," the chief asked, although he had a pretty good idea.

"Sergeant Brown never showed up this morning to pick up his prisoner. Delano is still sitting in our jail. Have you heard from Brown?"

"No," Ironside told him. "Not a word. He usually keeps in close contact with me when picking up prisoners. I was getting ready to call you. He is not answering his cell phone, and I have been calling for over an hour"

"I don't like it, Bob, something has gone wrong. Do you want me to go over to his room and check on him?"

"Yes, but I have a sinking feeling you won't find him. He went out on the town last night. A dozen things could have gone wrong." Ironside was kicking himself for not ordering Ed to stay in his room. Better yet, he should have told him to get on the first flight, and get back here immediately. Now, they had no idea where he was. That was not exactly true. Ironside had a pretty good idea where he was, and he didn't like it.

"I'll get over there right away. What are you going to do?" Vince asked his friend.

"Get on the first plane to Las Vegas," Ironside said, and hung up the phone. "Eve! Mark! Pack and be back here in an hour!" He picked up the phone, dialed the operator and said, "Put me through to San Francisco International Airport. This is a police emergency."

xxxx

Domenico's man pulled the Chrysler up to a small house off a road in the middle of nowhere. One of the men pulled the hood from his head. After taking a look around, all Ed could think was, who would build a house way out here away from civilization in the heat of the desert? If he could break away from them, he might be able to get the van, lock it and start it up. It was worth taking the chance. Ed suddenly slugged the man on his left with a right hook. The one on the other side of him raised his gun and pointed at the fleeing sergeant.

"Don't shoot!" Dante Domenico shouted. He just stood there and watched Brown make a run for the van. Ed open the door, locked it and reached for the ignition... no key. He looked out and saw Dante waving the keys at him. He walked over to the drivers side of the vehicle and calmly knocked on the window.

Knowing he had no choice, Ed unlocked the vehicle and got out. Before his second foot touched the ground, Dante doubled his fist and slugged Brown in the face. It was enough to render the sergeant unconscious.

"Bring him inside," Domenico ordered. Two of them grabbed Ed and dragged him into the house. When they arrived inside, they carried him into the house's only bedroom and threw him on the bed.

"He weighs a ton," the smaller man complained.

Dante raised an eyebrow. He wanted to slug the guy for being such a wimp. Instead, he simply said, "Weighs a ton? You should be glad it is not Ironside." He walked into the kitchen, pulled a glass out of the cupboard and filled it with water.

Arriving back at the couch, he looked at the guy the cop had slugged. His nose was bloodied and he had a bruise under his left eye. "You are gonna have quite a shiner."

"Why didn't you let me kill him?"

"Because Ironside is not going to trade for a dead body. We have to keep Brown until we get Delano back. Then we waste him. He knows too much, and Ironside needs to pay for his interference. What a better way to make him pay then his number one man. He looked at his henchman and said, "Need a job?" He laughed and headed to the door. He stopped before leaving. "He's your responsibility. Make sure he doesn't get away. If he does, you will answer to Benito, and you know what that means." Dante went out the door and slammed it shut.

xxxx

"Where in the blazes is Eve?" Ironside complained.

"Chief, you know it is going to take Eve some time to pack," Mark said. "She has to decide what to bring with her."

"Women," Ironside grumbled. "Why can't they just throw clothes into a suitcase like men do?"

The door opened, and Eve walked in with two suitcases, one in each hand. Ironside took one look and shook his head. "We are not going on vacation, Officer Whitfield."

Eve glanced at her suitcases. "That is obvious. I would need a lot more than this if we were."

Mark could not stop himself; he began grinning, until he caught Ironside's eye. The look his boss was giving him wiped the grin off his face.

Once again, the door opened and Commissioner Randall walked in. When he saw all the suitcases sitting in a heap, he demanded, "What is going on here? You can't possibly be leaving town with what we have going on."

"We don't have a choice, Dennis. We have to go..."

Before Ironside could complete his sentence, Randall interrupted him. "No, Bob! I don't care who is requesting your help this time, you are going to stay here and oversee the booking of Antonio Delano. What time is Ed's plane landing?"

"It's not," Ironside said. "At least not with him on it."

Randall walked directly over to Ironside and sat down beside him. "What do you mean? Didn't Ed pick up Delano and board that flight?"

"No. I became concerned when he did not call. We have spoken to Captain Vince Gillis. He said Ed did not show up this morning for the prisoner. Eve checked and he did not board the flight. Vince sent men over to Ed's hotel room. I have not heard back from him yet."

As if on cue the phone rang. The chief grabbed the phone and said, "Ironside."

"Bob, Vince here. My men just reported back. All of Sergeant Brown's belongings are still in the room, including his service revolver."

"Any sign of a struggle?" Ironside asked.

"None. The bed was not slept in and the bathroom was not used."

Ironside got a sick feeling in his stomach. "Vince, I know you are an excellent detective, but..."

"Forget it, Chief. Get on a plane. Inform me of your flight number and I will have a cruiser at the airport to pick you up."

"Eve!" Ironside barked. "What's our flight number?"

"Seventeen-thirty-one, landing at two-thirty," she answered."

As Ironside was about to repeat it to Gillis, the captain said, "I got it, Bob. Will see you at two-thirty." The phone went dead as Gillis hung up.

"Bob, I am sorry. Under the circumstances, you are authorized to go to Las Vegas and find Sergeant Brown. And, Bob, I hope you find him unharmed. Ironside only nodded. Randall got up and left the office.

xxxx

Ed Brown woke up, his head pounding with a massive headache. He sat up slowly and looked around the room. He was on a bed obviously in one of the bedrooms in the house. He got up and walked over to the only window in the room. It had blue drapes that had been pulled closed. Pushing back the right drape, he checked behind it. A pull down blind covered the window. The sergeant reached in and raised the blind. There were bars on the window. Ed had no doubt Benito Corneilo used this house to hold his enemies hostage for whatever he was trying to get from them. He wondered how many of them were buried in this desert. He shuddered at the thought. He had to get out of here, as he had no doubt he would join those unfortunate men with unmarked graves.

Brown used both hands to grab the bars. He tried shaking them. They didn't move, not even a little bit. Whoever put them in made sure they were attached solidly. He tried one more time to shake them with no success. Ed gave up and took another look around the room. There was one closet. He did not figure anything would be in it but he had to give it a try.

He moved a bit to fast and had to stop as he became very dizzy. Waiting until the dizziness past, Ed walked over to the closet, grabbed the knob and opened it. As he expected, there was nothing in the closet. He turned to go, but stopped when he noticed a razor blade up against the wall board. Brown bent down and picked it up. He pulled his wallet out of his pocket and removed a piece of paper. He ran the blade over the paper; it cut like butter. Knowing he could make use of it, Brown placed it into his wallet.

He check the dresser that was on the opposite wall of the bed. There was nothing in any of the drawers. He was convinced this placed was only used to hold Benito's prisoners until he decided to dispose of them. He had to find out what he was up against. He walked over to the door and pounded on it. "Hey, I have to go to the bathroom!" When he got no results, he worried that they may have left him here to die. To his relief, he heard the key in the door.

One of the men who had brought him here held a glock in his hand. "I am only going to tell you this just once, Brown. If you give me any problems, I will shoot you. I don't care what happens to you, so behave yourself."

"Where are we?" Ed asked.

"Don't worry about it. You will get out of here when Ironside gives up Delano," the man said.

Ed snorted. "Chief Ironside is not going to give up Delano. He killed a senator. He is going back to San Francisco to stand trial."

"Well that is too bad for you, because if Ironside doesn't give up Delano, you are a dead man," he told him.

"I am a dead man anyway and for that matter, so are you," Ed said.

The man stood there in a panic. Was Brown right? Would Corneilo have him killed? "Why do you say that?" he asked.

"Because he cannot afford to leave me alive. I know too much, and Ironside is never going to trade for Delano," Ed said.

"And why not? Delano means nothing to him," he said.

"Because he can't. He's a law officer. He cannot do it. So Benito Corneilo will have me killed to make sure I don't talk to Ironside. Then he will have you killed because Ironside will pick you up, and he can't afford to have you talking to him either. It is as simple as that."

The man began pacing back and forth. There was total panic in his eyes and demeanor. He turned and looked at the detective. "He can't kill me if I am not here. I have had enough of Dante Domenico and Benito Corneilo. I am out of here. You can fend for yourself, Brown." He turned away from Ed and headed for the door.

"Wait a minute. I can get Chief Ironside to help you. All you have to do is testify against Domenico and Corneilo," Ed called after him.

"I want nothing to do with Ironside. I have heard all about him."

"You can't leave me here with no way out!" Ed complained.

The man reached into his pocket, pulled out a pocket knife and threw it on the couch before leaving the house with a slam of the door. Within a minute, Ed heard the roar of a motorcycle. Its sound eventually became faint as his captor left him behind. He should have gone after him, but that gun-butt to his head still had his thinking a bit hazy.

"Just great," Brown complained. "What good is a pocket knife out here?" Ed went to the door, opened it and looked outside. It was then he noticed that this place was pretty much concealed by the shrubs and cactus' that surrounded it. It could easily be missed by anyone out here looking for him. The only real chance of spotting it was from the air. "Wake up, Brown," he said to himself. "The chief has probably been informed I did not show up to pick up the prisoner, but there is no way he knows I am out here, where ever that is."

Brown knew the best thing he could do was to get as far away from here as possible but not without water. He went into the kitchen and checked the cupboards for anything he could carry water in. There was next to nothing in the way of dishes. Obviously, this house was not lived in, but used only to hold Corneilo's enemies. The only thing that would hold water was simple drinking glasses. They were useless. He could not carry enough water in them to venture out in to the desert. He walked over to the refrigerator and opened it. There on the top shelf sat a gallon jug of milk. Ed pulled it out of the fridge and carried it over to the sink. He opened the cap and began dumping the milk in to the sink. Holding his breath because of the vile smell coming from the lumps of sour milk, he continued dumping it into the sink until all contents had been emptied. Ed then rinsed out the jug with water until he was satisfied he had gotten the odor out of it. He wondered where the water was coming from. Certainly, no water line could be run out here in the middle of no where. He looked out the window and spotted a well. He wondered how deep that had to have been drilled to come up with water. Corneilo seemed to spare no expense when it came to his little prison.

After filling the jug full of water, Ed took a long drink of the life saving liquid. He almost spat it back into the sink, the taste was so bad compared to the filtered San Francisco city water. He knew he would have to tolerate it as it was the only thing between him and death. Ed was not kidding himself. His chances of finding his way out of this desert were not good, especially since he did not have a clue which way to go in the first place. One thing he knew for sure, he would take the same path the man on the motorcycle had gone. It had to lead to civilization. It was either that or set up some kind of defense for the return of Domenico. The chief was going to demand proof that Ed was still alive.

Would it be smarter to wait it out? He would not run out of water here. He had no idea where to go for a city. Would he only be putting his life in danger if he left this house? He knew it could be seen by air if the chief got a helicopter looking for him. On the other hand, how would the chief know where to look? Ed was torn. No matter which way he chose, he was taking a chance with his life. He would have to make up his mind, and soon.

xxxx

The jumbo jet landed smoothly at the Las Vegas airport. Due to his disability, Ironside was unloaded ahead of all other passengers. He headed for the carousels where their luggage would be sent through. He did not concern himself with Eve or Mark, he knew they would catch up with him. He glanced up at the screens to check to see what carousel coincided with their flight. He then headed for number four. Spotting Vince Gillis immediately, he headed directly for him.

Captain Gillis put out his hand as Ironside shook it. "Hello, Chief. It is always a pleasure to see you. I just wish it was under more pleasant circumstances."

Ironside dispensed with the greetings immediately. "What have you found out about Ed?"

"Not much yet, I am afraid. I have put out an APB on him as well as Dante Domenico, and the known crooks he works with here in Las Vegas. I have had men questioning the employees in the casino, but none of them remembers seeing Sergeant Brown. If he had been playing at any of the tables last night, they would have remembered."

"I want to see his room," Ironside said. "One of the things we have trained ourselves to do is to try to leave clues for the rest to find. If Ed had time, he will have left something," Ironside said.

Eve and Mark caught up. Ironside introduced them to Captain Gillis. "Vince, we are going to need a place to stay while we are here."

"I took the liberty of getting you rooms on the same floor as Brown." Three police officers approached and began picking up the luggage Mark had pulled from the carousel. "I have three police cruisers out in the pick up area. One of them I will leave with you for your use while you are here."

"Thanks, Vince. I was expecting to have to rent a car," Ironside said.

"You will have more authority when people see you in one of our patrol cars," Gillis told him, "and I will make sure no on with authority gets in your way."

Ironside could not help but think that no authority in the world was going to stop him from finding Sergeant Ed Brown.


	14. Chapter 14

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 14

It was time for a decision. Ed knew it and had to make it. There was only really one decision to make. If he stayed in the house, Dante Domenico would sooner or later have him killed. Chief Ironside was not going to make any trade. As a law officer, he could not legally do so. Oh, the chief would act like he was going along with it, but in the end he would not be able to do so. That meant Domenico would return to put a bullet in his head.

So the decision was an easy one. Well, not really easy, just obvious. He could not stay here. Ed knew he would be taking his chances in the desert as well. The only thing he could do was head in the same direction his captor had gone. Hopefully, it would lead him to someone that could help him.

The detective remembered that when any of the chief's people got into a jam, it was standard procedure to leave behind something that would help their fellow detectives find them. Ed looked around. What clue could he leave Chief Ironside as to where he was heading. He had to put it somewhere that the chief would look, but Dante Domenico would not. Just where would that be? When Ironside had been kidnapped by two warring thugs, he had scratched LAX into the driver's seat of the van. He had let him know that the thugs were taking him to the Los Angeles area.

Where could he put a clue for his boss and what could he use to do it? There wasn't any vehicle to scratch a message into. He didn't have anything that he could use to make the message. Wait, he did! Brown reached into his pocket and pulled out the razor blade he had found in the bedroom closet. Smiling, he knew he had the tool to do it. Now, all he had to do was figure out where to put the message. The closet! Why not put it in the closet where he found the razor blade to begin with. He knew Chief Ironside would go over every inch of the house looking for some clue in order to locate Ed. He would find it.

Sergeant Brown headed back into the bedroom. Walking over to the closet, he opened the door. It was not a very big closet. The chief would have to depend on Eve or Mark to find the message. Ed had confidence in his colleagues to find whatever message he would place in there. He looked the closet over. He did not want it to be easily found. Otherwise, Domenico might find it before the chief. If that happened, he would destroy it. Ed decided on the molding around the door. He would put the message there, writing it down the molding.

Using his height, Ed reached up toward the top of the door. He stopped. What did he want to put there for Ironside to find? Finally, he decided on "Headed west, on foot." He put it up high enough that Domenico would probably miss it unless he was looking for it. Brown was not worried about it, as he would not know that Ironside had made a standing policy to try to leave something, that would help find one of them in trouble.

Ed wrapped the razor blade and put it back into his pocket. It came in handy once; maybe it would again. He stood in the middle of the bedroom and looked around. By now, Chief Ironside would be in Las Veges looking for him. He had no idea how the chief would locate this house. It was a long-shot, but at least if he did, Ed had given himself the chance of Ironside finding him before Domenico did.

He left the bedroom and went back into the kitchen. Grabbing the gallon jug of water, Sergeant Ed Brown left the house and headed out into the desert.

xxxx

Benito Corneilo was furious. How did he ever get in this position? What a mess, and now he had Ironside on his trail. He had been able to stay under his radar for years now. All because of Antonio Delano, he was now in the biggest trouble he had ever been in. With Delano in police custody, he was sure he was singing like a canary. His only hope of staying out of prison was now on the shoulders of Dante Domenico. He was sure Dante was completely loyal to him. Benito had made sure that he took very good care of him over the years.

Why didn't he just let Dante do the hit on Senator Murdock? Actually, he knew why he had not. He wanted to protect Dante. He needed him. If anything had gone wrong, he did not want his most loyal man in jail. Dante would have kept his mouth shut and gone to prison. He was now in Las Vegas trying to clean up Delano's mess. If it weren't for the fact that he could not afford to allow Delano to breathe any longer than absolutely necessary, he would have had Dante bring him back to San Francisco. He would like to have had the pleasure of killing the man himself. Now, he had to hope that Ironside cared enough about his sergeant that he would be willing to trade him for Delano. He was certain the moment the man was in Dante's hands, he would be a dead man.

But, what if Ironside followed the law and refused to trade Delano for Brown? What then? Of course, he would have Brown killed. In fact, he intended to kill him either way. He simply knew too much, and Benito had to protect Dante. Brown would be able to tell Ironside who picked him up. Still it worried him. Ironside was known for being a by-the-book cop. What if he was willing to sacrifice Brown? Was there anyone that Ironside really cared for? Maybe he would have been better off picking up Ironside's policewoman.

Benito sat down behind his desk. He had heard from Dante a short time ago. He had Brown. Why then did Benito still have a feeling of dread. Brown was Ironside's number one detective, but just how much could he mean to him? Dante was a very resourceful fellow, but could he arrange a trade without becoming involved? Benito wanted him to come out of this without any suspicion thrown his way. He should have made it more clear that he did not want him directly involved.

One thing was for sure, it was time to start tying up loose ends. With Ironside out of town, one loose end would be a little easier. Ava Blake had to be silenced. Dante had been right about that. He had to get Ava out of Ironside's protection. With him in Las Vegas, now was the time to do it. None of Ironside's people were here to stop him. He just needed to find out where Ava was.

He picked up the phone and called his secretary. "Find Billy Torceni and Jimmy Morlino. Tell them to report to my office immediately."

"Yes, sir. Right away sir."

Corneilo hung up the phone. He would start with Ava Blake, and then he would make sure that Dante took care of Antonio Delano and Ed Brown. Ironside would roar but with his witnesses gone, he would not be able to touch either one of them.

xxxx

Sergeant Ed Brown removed his suit coat and tie. After shoving the tie into the pocket of the coat, he used the sleeves to tie the coat around his waist. Ed rolled up his sleeves. It was only early morning and it was already extremely warm. He knew enough about the Mojave Desert to know that temperatures could reach one-hundred-twenty degrees. Using his hand, he wiped the sweat from his brow that was threatening to roll down into his eyes.

Brown looked at his surroundings. The desert was all he could see as far as his sight allowed. He had not been on foot for long, but his dress shoes were certainly not made for strolling around on the terrain of a desert. His feet already hurt. He spotted a rather large rock and decided he needed to take a short rest. Ed unscrewed the gallon jug of water and took a drink, being careful not to drink too much. He had no idea how long he would be roaming around before he either came upon civilization or was found by Ironside. As he rested, he pondered what he would do if he could not find someone to help him. He did not relish the thought. Dying in the Mojave Desert was not something he had ever worried about as a cop. Being shot by a thug or someone looking for revenge against him for arresting them had always been at the back of his mind, but dying of thirst or heat exhaustion had never crossed his mind.

Ed set the jug of water down on the ground and rested his hand on the rock. As he pondered his next move, he felt something on his hand. Ed look down; the largest spider he had ever seen was sitting on his hand. Brown jerked his hand and scrambled from the rock, knocking the tarantula to the ground. In the process, he accidentally kicked over the jug of water. He quickly bent down, grabbed the jug and set it upright once again. He had lost about a fourth of the water as it soaked into the ground. Ed cursed himself for his ridiculous reaction to the tarantula. They may be big, but they were pretty much harmless. Their bite could be painful and that was about all the damage they could do. He guessed the size of the hairy spider, and the fact that he didn't even like the smaller cousins of the spider caused his reaction. He was used to the city of San Francisco; not the heat of the desert, huge spiders and extreme thirst.

He picked up the jug of water and screwed the top back on. He would have to be more careful. The next time he took a drink he would be sure to screw the top back on before doing anything else. Ed stood up. He had rested long enough. The sooner he could find someone, a highway, or his boss the better.

Ed continued in the direction he had been traveling. The sun was rising in the sky. Sweat pour down his face. He may have to find some shade somewhere soon. The last thing he needed was to have a heatstroke.

xxxx

Ironside had not slept much. He had lost count of the number of times he had waken in the night. He could not stop thinking about Ed. He was out there somewhere and he needed his help. The chief had fought the urge to call for Mark each time he had waken. He and Eve would be doing a lot of the work that he could not do from a wheelchair. They needed their rest, although he figured they did not get much more sleep than he did. Working together as a special crime unit had certainly been responsible for the bond that had developed between them. Mark and Eve cared about Ed every bit as much as he did. They had been a family, a police family, but nevertheless a family. One of the family was in trouble and it was up to the rest of them to locate and help him.

He had sent Mark and Eve out to talk to all of the occupants in the rooms on the floor they were on; the same floor Ed had checked into. That was nearly two hours ago and he had not heard from him. In the meantime, Ironside had been on the phone calling Captain Vince Gillis checking to see if he had been able to get any information out of Antonio Delano. So far Delano had not given up any information that would help them locate Ed. They did not have much time and Ironside knew it, and so did Delano. They had seventy-two hours before they would be forced to have him arraigned. Luck was with them that this was a Friday, otherwise they would only have forty-eight hours. Ironside wanted to locate Ed and have him back with them before they were forced to formally have Delano arraigned in a court of law.

They had to get Delano talking. He had no doubt that the man's knowledge of Benito Corneilo's activities in San Francisco and Las Vegas was extensive. He was anxious to get over to Police Headquarters and grill Delano. Maybe he could get more out of him than Gillis's men had been able to. Certainly he had given them enough information to nail Benito Corneilo, but the kind of information Ironside needed was knowledge of where Domenico took men Benito wanted to make disappear.

There was a knock on his hotel room door. "It's open," Ironside shouted. Mark and Eve entered the room with an elderly woman. The chief turned his wheelchair in their direction.

Eve, with her hand on the woman's elbow, led her over to her boss. "This is Chief Robert Ironside from San Francisco. He is going to ask you some questions. Chief, this is Gladys Lattimore. She lives in San Diego. She is here on vacation."

Ironside noted the woman had to at least be in her early eighties. She was short but lean. Her face, although not wrinkled, was pasty and was framed by snow-white hair. "Are you here alone, Mrs. Lattimore?"

"That's Miss Lattimore," she corrected.

"Miss Lattimore," Ironside acknowledged. "Are you here alone?"

"Yes, I always go on vacation alone. I enjoy meeting people."

"Then I take it you never married?" Ironside asked.

"Does that really have to do with anything?" she complained.

Ironside almost smiled. He had already decided he liked the feisty old lady. "No, not really." She didn't know it; she may not have answered his question in so many words, but he knew the answer to his question. "When did you arrive?"

"Last night."

"And you are staying on this floor?" Ironside asked.

"No, but for some reason the elevator keeps stopping on this floor," she grumbled.

"Miss Lattimore is staying in a room one floor up," Eve explained. "Her problem with the elevator brought her to this floor last night."

Ironside immediately perked up. "What time was that?"

"I checked in at exactly a quarter to nine," Miss Lattimore answered. "I know that because I called my niece to let her know that I had arrived here safely."

"Then what?" Ironside asked.

"Well, I got on the elevator and pushed the number to my floor, but it dropped me off on this floor. I could not find the correct room so I asked these two young men to help me."

"Do you remember what they looked like?" Ironside inquired. "Can you described them?"

"One was mean looking. He never said anything. He just stood there with one hand in his jacket pocket. But, the other young man was very helpful. He was charming and even smiled at me."

"What did he look like?" Ironside encouraged her.

"He was tall, very handsome. Slender, with dark hair; parted it on the right side. He was soft spoken and very polite. He was dressed in a suit. The other one was in jeans and a sweatshirt. He had on a light jacket. He never spoke a word."

Ironside pulled out a picture of Dante Domenico and handed it to Gladys Lattimore. "Is this one of the men that you saw?"

She studied the photograph and nodded. "Yes, that was the one I didn't like. He looked like a thug to me."

Pulling out another photograph, he handed it to her. "What about this one. Was he the other man?"

Gladys looked at the picture of Ed Brown and smiled. "This was the polite young man. He is the one who told me that my room was one floor up."

"Miss Lattimore, I am going to have police assigned to protect you. The man you described as a thug is exactly that. He works for a mobster in San Francisco. The other man works for me." Pointing at the picture, he said, "His name is Sergeant Ed Brown. We believe the other man abducted him by gunpoint."

"Oh my gosh! That's terrible. Am I am danger?" Gladys said, excitedly.

"You could be. That is why I want police assigned to you. I would also like you to check out of this hotel. I would prefer that Dante Domenico does not know where to find you."

"Thank you, young man. I appreciate it. I certainly did not come here to get mixed up with mobsters."

"Officer Whitfield will help you re-locate," Ironside told her, nodding at Eve.

Eve took the old lady's arm and led her out of Ironside's room.

"Well, we know Domenico took Ed," Mark said.

"I already knew it. She just simply confirmed it," Ironside said.

"Now what?" Mark asked.

"We are going to Police Headquarters. I want to talk to Antonio Delano."

xxxx

The desert sun was blazing. Ed could not remember when he had experience such hot weather. He had been unable to find anything that provided any shade where he could stop and rest. His dress shirt was soaked with sweat. It stuck uncomfortably to his body. Once again he stopped. He set the jug of water down on the ground. Pulling his shirt tail out of his suit pants, he unbuttoned his shirt and removed it. After pulling his t-shirt over his head, he attempted to use it to dry his sweat-soaked body. Even the hair on his chest clung to him from the perspiration. Sweat pour down his face; his hair looked like he had just stepped out of the shower.

Ed was tempted to remove his suit pants down to his shorts. Obviously, way out here in the desert, no one would know. Only modesty kept him from doing so. He threw the shirt and t-shirt over his shoulder. Reaching down, he picked up the water jug, unscrewed the top and took a long deep drink. Remembering what happened the last time he took a drink, he immediately screwed the top back on.

His feet burned. He wished he had on a pair of padded running shoes instead of his dress shoes. He never realized how uncomfortable they could be for walking long distances. Ed looked up at the sun, which was now directly overhead. That meant it was only noon. He groaned when he thought about how much hotter it was going to get since the hottest part of the day usually occurred at three o'clock.

He was beginning to regret that he did not let the chief send Carl Reese after Antonio Delano. The next time the chief was being protective, Ed promised himself he would not let his ego get in the way.

As he resume his walk, he stopped abruptly when a snarling coyote appeared in front of him.


	15. TDOSEB

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 15

Mark opened the door to the interrogation room. Ironside placed a hand on both sides of the door frame and pulled himself through. As he entered the room, Antonia Delano looked up from the table he was sitting at. This man was the last man on earth he wanted to see. Delano knew he was in trouble. He still could not believe the mistakes he had made on this hit. He left enough evidence to be convicted and he knew it.

He watched Ironside wheel himself to the table. The man with him did not join them, rather he stood a distance behind Ironside. Delano could not help but notice the man watching him. He was also keeping a watchful eye on Ironside, ready to intervene if necessary, no doubt. Well, it wasn't necessary. Delano was in enough trouble. He did not need to add to it. He sat still waiting for Ironside to speak. Instead the detective just stared at him.

When Delano could no longer take it, he looked away from the man. "What do you want?"

"You know who I am?" Ironside asked.

"Of course I know who you are. What do you want?" Delano shifted in his chair.

"You are going to jail, Mister Delano. Whether you get the death penalty or a life sentence will be strictly up to you." Ironside became silent again.

Delano did not know what kind of game the cripple was playing but he wanted no part of it. He simply could not stand his staring. "What do you mean?"

"I want answers Mister Delano and I want them now."

Delano reached for the pitcher of water that sat on the table. He poured some water into a glass that was also there. After he took a drink, he asked, "What kind of answers?"

"The truth for starters," Ironside responded. "Did you make the hit on Senator Murdock?"

Delano should just demand an attorney and keep his mouth shut. The problem with doing that was, he thought they had enough to convict him. Sure he could hide behind an attorney and just go to trial. No matter how good the attorney was, Delano was going to be convicted. That was a given. The district attorney would ask for the death penalty and he would get it. Could he face death? He had no desire to die, but wouldn't it be better to die then live the rest of his life in a prison cell? Yet, he doubted he could face a lethal injection.

What was the sense in lying to Ironside now. First he had to find out just how much the San Francisco detective had on him. He set the glass of water down on the table. "Do you have any cigarettes?"

Ironside looked back at Mark and nodded. Mark reached into his jacket and pulled out the package of cigarettes that the chief had given him earlier. He came forward and tossed them onto the table. Delano picked them up and removed one. "You got a light?"

Ironside removed the lighter from his pocket he had placed there earlier. He lit it and reached his hand towards Delano. Delano noted that the man with him stepped forward so that he was directly beside Ironside. The assassin bent forward, placed the end of his cigarette into the flame, allowing Ironside to light it. Delano inhaled several times and blew the smoke into the air. He turned his attention back to the cripple.

"Well, did you?" Ironside demanded.

Delano knew he was beaten. He could not face death. He would have to spend his life in prison, but at least he would be alive. He could adjust to anything. First he had to find out what Ironside knew. He was not about to hang himself if the cripple was bluffing. "No, I had nothing to do with it, and you are holding me unlawfully."

Ironside snorted. "You can't even tell the truth when we are holding all the cards."

"You are bluffing, Ironside," he said, looking away from the detective.

"Am I? Well then, let me tell you all about my bluff. We have the clothes you wore. We have the gun you used to kill him. You left your fingerprints on the registration card at the hotel. They have now been compared to the fingerprints that were taken when you were arrested. They match, Mister Delano. The hair left on the wig you wore match your DNA as well. The hotel clerk has identified you as the man that checked in and signed the card. We also have a witness who saw a ring on your finger, you know, the one with the dragon. We have checked on that and have found out that it is your family crest. Not very professional of you to wear it to a hit, now was it?"

That was it then. Delano knew they had him. Why did he ever take this job? He sat at the table in silence.

"Did you kill Murdock" Ironside demanded, raising his voice.

Delano's only option was to negotiate for life in prison. He had to get the death penalty off the table. "I want a deal, Ironside."

"I don't give deals, but the district attorney does. I have no doubt if you tell us who ordered the killing of Senator Murdock and testify in court, he will not ask for the death penalty."

"Then I will not say anything until I talk to the district attorney," Delano said.

Ironside looked over his shoulder. "Mark, find Captain Gillis and get a phone in here."

Mark gave the chief a questioning look.

The chief notice the look and assured him, "I'll be alright."

Mark left the holding room and returned a few minutes later with a phone. He plugged it into the wall and set it down in front of Delano.

"Call him. His name is Gary Sullivan," Ironside said.

"I don't have the number for the Hall of Justice."

"Call information," Ironside barked.

Antonio Delano did exactly that. He asked for the district attorney's office. His secretary tried to put him off, but put him through to Sullivan when he gave his name. After a fifteen minute conversation, he turned to Ironside. "He wants to talk to you."

The chief took the phone. "Ironside." He listened for a moment and said, "Are you going to give him a deal?" Again, he listened before saying, "Alright, Gary, we will have him in San Francisco in a few days." He hung up the phone. Looking back at Delano, he asked, "Satisfied?"

"I am."

"Now, did you do the hit on Murdock?" Ironside asked again.

Delano hesitated but answered the detective. "Yes, I did."

"Who ordered it?"

"Benito Corneilo."

"How did you do it?"

"I hired a man to shoot a an automatic rifle from the building across from the Hall of Justice, as a diversion. I was dressed as an old man. I went right up to the stage and shot him close range. Ask your policewoman. She made me right away."

There was no way Delano could know that unless he was the killer. The evidence already proved he was, but Ironside wanted to hear it from him. Alright, so you killed him, stole a car, went to the airport and returned to Las Vegas."

"That's right."

"You have made hits for him before?" the detective asked.

"Wait a minute, Ironside. I am only admitting to the hit on Murdock, that's it. Don't ask about anything else." Delano showed irritation with the question.

"Alright. What do you know about Benito Corneilo's operation here in Las Vegas?"

"What about it?"

"Where did he take men he wanted to question or just keep hidden?" Ironside inquired.

"He has a house that is out in the Mojave Desert. It is next to impossible to find if you drive out there, but I understand it can be spotted by air."

Ironside held his poker face. This was the information he was hoping to get out of Delano. "The Mojave Desert is rather large, Mister Delano, could you be more specific?"

"No, I can't. I was never there. I only know of the place because Corneilo told me about it. All I can tell you is that it is outside of Vegas."

"Dante Domenico is here in Vegas," Ironside told him. He wanted to re-enforce Delano's desire to testify. "He was sent by Corneilo to kill you."

"I am not surprised," Delano said.

Ironside turned his chair to leave. Suddenly he turned back to Antonio Delano. "Don't think of backing out, Mister Delano, or Gary Sullivan will ask for the death penalty." He turned around again, and Mark wheeled him out of the holding room.

xxxx

Ed looked around him. He was pretty much out in the open. The situation did not look good. Brown did not see anywhere he could get away from the coyote. He attempted to back up, but the coyote took a step forward, then another. Its lips were pulled back and it was snarling. Saliva dripped from its jaw. Ed had no idea how he was going to get out of this.

Looking down, there was a good size rock at his feet. Slowly, he reached down and picked it up. The coyote growled and began moving toward Brown. Ed drew his arm back and threw the rock as hard as he could at the animal. It hit its mark. The coyote howled, but soon recovered. Snarling, it came at Ed again.

Out of the corner of his eye, Ed caught movement. It was fast and it headed straight for the coyote. The cougar attacked. It went for the throat and tore it open. The coyote went limp, obviously dead.

Quickly and as silently as he could move, Ed made his retreat. The only thing on his mine was to put as much distance between the cougar and himself. He would not fair as well against that animal as he did with the coyote. He could not think of an animal in the Mojave that could attack and take down a cougar. There might be one, but he was not going to stick around and hope one would attack the cougar.

He moved at a steady pace. Unfortunately, he had to go a good distance out of his way to avoid the cougar. He would have to circle back and turn west again, but not until he was sure he was far away from that cat. Ed stopped, opened the top on the milk jug and took another drink of water. Replacing the top, he made sure that it was tightly screwed back on. He sat down to take a rest. His feet were killing him. He could feel blisters beginning to form on the bottom of his feet. He undid the laces on his right shoe and removed it. Brown slid the sock of his foot. Looking at the bottom of his foot, he had not only developed blisters, one of them had broken open. It would not be long before it would start bleeding. Ed put his sock back on and returned the shoe to his foot. He looked out over the desert.

Sweat was pouring down his face and dripping from his chin. He had given up trying to keep his face dry. In this heat, it was impossible. He could not wait for the sun to go down. Ed was aware it could get quite cool at night; it could not be as bad as the heat he was now experiencing. Right now he believed he would welcome it.

Sergeant Brown had rested long enough. He stood up. An old injury he had sustained when he was in the Marines was now coming back to haunt him. His knee was beginning to pain. Ed vowed if he ever got back to San Francisco, he would start working out and get in better shape. He was not that old, only in his thirties, that he should be having this much paid walking through the desert. He realized part of the problem was the shoes he had on, but he could not blame it all on the shoes. Obviously, his job was not all he needed to stay in condition.

He stood up and winced at the pain in the bottom of his foot. With no other choice, he headed through the desert.

xxxx

Ironside wheeled into Captain Vince Gillis's office. Gillis stood up from his desk as he entered. "My men just told me what transpired in that holding room. Our police helicopters will be available in the morning. We will start searching for Sergeant Brown then."

"Tomorrow? What about today?" Ironside demanded. "Ed is out there, maybe with no water. He won't last more than a couple days in that heat with no water."

"Bob, I understand what you are feeling, but the sun will set in an hour. We would barely get the choppers out in the desert before it is dark. We would not be able to find him in the pitch dark."

Ironside knew he was right. He just could not bear the thought of Ed out in the desert with no water. As hot as it would get in the desert, Ed would sweat profusely. By night fall, his clothing would be soaking wet. After the sun went down, the temperature would drop drastically. At this time of the year, it could drop into the upper thirties. Contending with that temperature would be hard enough, but to do it with soaking wet clothes, well, he did not want to think about it.

If there was any chance he could find Ed right now, he would push Vince to put those choppers in the air. There wasn't. They would have to wait until morning. Ed would have to endure at least one night in the desert.

"How early can you put those choppers up?" Ironside asked his friend.

"They will be ready at five o'clock in the morning, Bob. I will send a squad car here to pick you up and take you to the police helipad. Is that satisfactory?" Vince asked.

"It will have to do," Ironside said. "Look, Vince... "

"if you are going to apologize, forget it. I know what your sergeant means to you. We'll find him, Bob. I promise you that."

Ironside nodded. He signaled to Mark who turned his chair around and wheeled his boss out of Captain Gillis's office."

xxxx

Rain fell heavily around San Francisco. Jimmy Morlino drove the Buick Enclave to the outskirts of the city. They had been given a job to do by Benito Corneilo. According to their police informant, Officer Bryan Stillman, Ava Blake was being concealed at a chicken farm owned by Commissioner Dennis Randall. It was a perfect place for an ambush. It was where Honor Thompson had shot Robert Ironside and put the man in a wheel chair for the rest of his life.

Unfortunately, the sun was setting. They would be unable to use a rifle to do the job. Besides, the police would no doubt keep Ava Blake inside and away from the windows. However, Ava was not who they would be shooting at. They had orders to kill the officers protecting her and bring her back to Benito. Jimmy was glad it would be her facing his wrath.

He glanced over at Billy Torceni before returning his eyes to the road. The steady beat of the downpour had the windshield wipers working over time. They moved back and forth across the window at a fast pace, barely able to keep it clear enough to see in front of them. Billy was listening to the news on the radio. There was nothing new on the murder of Senator Murdock. Jimmy had no proof that Benito was behind it, yet he was certain that he was. He regretted the day he had met Corneilo. He would like nothing better than to take off, head east and get as far away from him as he could. It would be a waste of time. Benito would find him. He always did. He was relentless in locating anyone who deserted him. He kept his men in line by letting them know if they crossed him, they were dead.

"Are you just going to sit there and say nothing. You are lousy company, you know that?" he told Billy.

Billy looked at him. "I don't like this. Taking Ava back to Benito will sign her death warrant."

"Would you rather have your death warrant signed, Billy? If we cross Benito, that is exactly what would happen. You know that."

"Yeah," Billy said, "I know, but I can dream. It is just that I like Ava. I hate to see anything happen to her."

They could see the lights from the house on the chicken farm. Jimmy reached down and shut off the headlights. It was next to impossible to see where they were going. All he could do was drive the vehicle in a straight line. As he got closer, he pulled the Enclave to the side of the road and shut off the engine. "Remember, be quiet. I don't want them to know we are here until it is too late."

'I know, you have told me a dozen times," Billy snarled.

"And I will tell you a dozen more. If we screw this up, Benito will kill us. Is that what you want?" Jimmy asked.

"No. Quit worrying about it. I'll be quiet. They will never know I am there."

Jimmy and Billy got out of the vehicle and entered the pouring rain. Both men were immediately soaked as it was still raining in a downpour. They walked down the road towards the house. As they approached, they pulled out their guns. Jimmy pointed to the right side of the house. "Check the windows on that side. I'll get the ones on the left and the front. Locate the two officers, nothing else. And don't let them see you."

Billy didn't say anything. He was tired of Jimmy treating him like some school boy playing with his father's gun. He had just as many kills as Jimmy did and he had not been caught off guard yet. He went around the side of the house. The first window was the living room. The curtains were pulled but were thin enough that he could see through them. Both cops were sitting in chairs watching a boxing match. Billy had already seen all he needed to. He went back around to the front of the house and met Jimmy there.

"They are both in the living room watching television," Billy told him.

"I know, I saw them through the front window. I have been waiting for you to come back," Jimmy told him.

"How do you want to handle it?" Billy asked.

"You go back to the side window. Throw some pebbles at the window. When they come to investigate, I will shoot one of them through the front window. You get the other one. Their attention will be on me. Got it?"

"Yeah, I got it," Billy said. "Let's get it over with."

Billy went back to the side window and Jimmy positioned himself at the front window. Torcini reached down and picked up some small stones. Moving to the side of the window, he threw them against it. Just as Jimmy predicted they got up. Drawing their revolvers, one of them remained where he was while the other moved cautiously towards the window. Jimmy pointed his gun at the stationary officer, pulled the trigger and shot him in the chest. Also, as Jimmy had predicted the other officer turned around toward the front window. When he did, Billy fired through the window and shot him the middle of his back. He dropped to the floor.

Jimmy shouted to Billy, "Cover me!" He went to the front door and kicked it in. He checked the man Billy had shot first. He was dead. He knew the one he had shot was dead. Billy came in the front door. Jimmy whirled around with his gun pointed at him.

"Easy, don't shoot me," Billy snarled.

"You should have announced yourself. Are you trying to get yourself killed." He looked around. He did not see Ava. "Search the house. You go that way," he said pointing.

Jimmy headed down the hall to the bedrooms. There were three of them. All of the doors were closed. He stopped at the first one. Reaching down, he turned the knob and pushed the door opened. He put his hand around the wall feeling for a light switch. When he found it, he flipped the light on. There was no one in the room. Moving to the next room, he noticed a light under the door. Jimmy repeated the process of turning the knob and pushing the door open. Ava Blake was on the other side of the bed, crouched down behind it.

"Its alright, Ava. I am not going to hurt you. Come on out," Jimmy said.

"Knowing she had no choice, she stood up. She was shaking with fear as she recognized the man in front of her. She was even more afraid of the man who sent him.

xxxx

Back at his motel room, Ironside laid wide awake in bed. He had not slept a wink. Worried about Ed, sleep would not come easy. Mark had helped him into bed and retired. Eve had long since gone back to her room.

The phone beside his bed rang. Ironside reached over and turned on the light. He picked up the receiver and said, "Hello."

"I am only going to say this once, Ironside, so don't bother trying to trace the call. If you want to see your sergeant alive, you are going to do exactly as I tell you to do. Do you understand?"

"I understand," Ironside replied.

"Good. Go down to the lobby and ask if there are any messages for you. You got that?"

"I got it," he replied. The line went dead.


	16. Chapter 16

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 16

Brown was shivering. His clothes were still wet from profuse sweating due to the heat of the day. He untied his suit coat jacket and covered the upper part of his body, pulling it under his neck. He had not bothered to put it on as the sleeves and part of the jacket were almost as soaked as his clothes, but the rest of it was fairly dry. It did not provide much warmth, but at least it was some comfort. Even if his clothes were bone dry, he was certain he would still be shivering. He was not used to this low temperature. It was down right cold.

If Ed had been from the northeastern part of the United States, he probably would be in a better position to withstand the cold. After all, the people who lived in that area probably thought the temperature was mild compared to the winter temperatures they had to endure. However, he was not from the northeastern part of the country. He was used to weather in San Francisco, a city he had lived in all of his life. The only time he had spent away from it was when he was in the Marines. Of course, the Marines had put him through a lot. If he had been fresh out of the Marines, he would have been more suited to withstand this cold weather of the desert night.

None of that mattered anymore. Ed had not been in the Marines in years. His police training had helped him to endure a lot of things, yet Ed never liked the cold. It had always surprised him how Chief Ironside could handle the cold whenever their work took them to a climate where the weather was much cooler than they were used to. His family name sure fit him. It was as if he actually was made of iron, "the Ironman on wheels."

The thought of his boss brought him back to dealing with his current situation. How would the chief handle this? One thing for sure is he would not be here feeling sorry for himself. His mind would be going a hundred miles a minute, trying to figure a way out of it. Ed would have to apply everything the chief had taught him over the years if he were to get out of this alive. He sure wished the chief was here. Well, he wasn't and Brown had to find a way back to the city on his own. The chief would be looking for him by now, but he could not depend on him to find him. He would eventually figure out where he was; how long would that take? He would not last in this desert very long. He had already drunk half of the water he had in the milk jug. At this rate, he would run out of water by tomorrow. He would have to slow down his water intake. Making the water last was the key to his survival.

Ed continued to hold his suit coat jacket under his chin. Closing his eyes, he tried to succumb to sleep. If only he could stop shivering long enough to let sleep take him. He had to try. He could not face the long walk in the desert without rest.

His feet ached, his shoes pinching them. No doubt they were swollen. Brown decided to remove them for the night to give them some relief. He threw his jacket off, reached down and untied both his shoes. Gently, he pulled them off, one by one. His feet immediately lost the pinching feeling. Ed wanted to rub the numbness out of them, but didn't dare. He had broken blisters on the bottom of them, so he had to be satisfied with just giving them freedom from the pinching shoes.

Ed had found a gathering of rocks that formed a circle. He had immediately decided it was where he would spend the night. It would provide him some protection from the wind that was now blowing. Where was that wind during the day when he could have use a nice breeze to help cool his sweat-soaked body? Brown had chosen a spot where there as a bit of an overhang in the rocks of his protective "fort." He would have preferred a nice soft pillow; his arm would have to do. Ironside's sergeant had crawled under the overhang, shoved his back up against the stone wall, pulled the jacket across his shoulders and under his chin once more.

It took a while before Ed finally fell into a deep sleep, still shivering despite his slumber.

xxxx

Ironside hung up the phone, picked it back up and dialed Mark's room. Sanger had obviously been asleep by the sound of his voice. "Mark, come into my room. He slammed the receiver back into the cradle and waited for him to come through the adjoining door.

Mark was tying the ties of his robe as he walked into Ironside's room. "Chief, what is it?"

"I just got a call from Ed's kidnappers," the chief explained.

Mark was fully awake now. "What did they say?"

"He told me to go down to the lobby and pick up my messages if I wanted to see Ed alive."

"Did you recognize the voice," Mark asked.

"No, but whoever made that call was trying to disguise his voice which tells me I likely know him."

"Dante Domenico?" Mark guessed.

"Possibly. Get me out of this bed and into some clothes," Ironside ordered.

Mark immediately grabbed Ironside's clothes he had worn that day and began helping the handicapped detective into them. Once he had him dressed, Mark then put on his socks and shoes. This was all something Ironside could do himself, but it took him a lot longer than if Mark did it for him.

Sanger pulled the wheelchair over to the side of the bed. Ironside put his arm around Mark's neck and lifted the detective into his chair. The chief began wheeling himself to the door.

"Ah, Chief, I can't go downstairs dressed like this," Mark told him.

"Then put some clothes on, and make it fast," Ironside snarled.

Mark disappeared through the adjoining door and returned five minutes later, dressed in a dark pair of slacks and a pull-over casual shirt. As soon as he appeared, Ironside opened the door to his room and Mark pushed him through it. "What do you think they want?" Mark asked his boss.

"A trade," Ironside answered. "They will want to trade Ed for Antonio Delano. They have to silence Delano, so they have to get there hands on him. The only way they think that is going to happen is to force me to make a trade."

As they approached the elevator, Mark pointed out the obvious. "Chief, you can't make a trade."

"I know that, you know that, but the kidnapper doesn't. He will think I will do anything to get Ed back."

"Well, you will," Mark said.

"Almost anything, Mark. My hands are tied where Delano is concerned. I can't make that trade. It would be sending him to his death."

"As far as I am concerned, let him die. He is a killer. If you don't make the trade, you will be sending Ed to his death."

"Yes, I know. Domenico will only keep him alive until a trade is made. They have to silence him as well. He will be able to identify Domenico. I want Ed back as much as you do and I want him in one piece. I am going to let the kidnapper think that I will meet his terms. At the same time, we are going to do everything we can to locate Ed."

The elevator doors opened. Mark held them open as Ironside wheeled his chair so that he could back into it. Sanger joined him in the elevator and pressed the button for the lobby. The two men rode down in silence. When the doors opened, Ironside wheeled out as Mark followed. Sometimes it amazed Mark how fast the chief could wheel that thing.

Ironside approached the lobby desk. The clerk looked like she could use a good night's sleep. When he approached, she didn't look up from the magazine she was reading. Ironside had no patience for people who did their jobs poorly. If she had been busy with work, he would have waited until she was finished. This woman was reading a magazine! The chief slammed his hand on the counter, startling the clerk to jump.

She gave him what was an obvious look of disapproval and said, "Yea, what do you need?"

Ironside raised an eyebrow and repeated, "Yea, what do I need? I am sure your boss would prefer you say may I help you." His tone was gruff and loud. A man came out of the closed door behind her.

"Is there a problem here, sir?"

Ironside noticed immediately he was wearing a badge that identified him as the night manager. Since he felt he got his point across to the young lady, he decided not to get her in any trouble. She was lucky he was not her boss. "No problem at all, this young lady was about to help me."

The manager looked between his employee and Robert Ironside. It dawned on him who this man in the wheelchair was. "Chief Ironside, may I be of assistance?"

"Chief Ironside?" the clerk repeated.

"That's right," Ironside said.

"I can help him," she said turning to her boss.

Ironside's observation told him the manager suspected something was wrong, but since the chief was not voicing a complaint, he turned and left through the door he appeared from.

The clerk returned her attention to the famous detective. "What can I help you with Chief Ironside?"

"I would like my messages, please," he answered in a pleasant voice. He gave her his room number and waited.

The clerk went over to the wall of boxes and pulled an envelope out. She walked back and handed it to him over the counter. "Will there be anything else, Chief?"

Ironside looked at her reading material. "What magazine are you reading?"

She followed his eyes to the reading material and said, "It is not a magazine, Chief. I am studying criminal justice. That is a real-life case. I am supposed to read it and critique how the police handled it. I want to be a police officer."

"Well, let me give you some advice. A police officer must deduce, determine and decide. You should have deduced that I was here for a reason by my approaching the counter and waiting for you to act. You should have determined that I needed your help, and you should have decided to ask me if you could help me," Ironside said. He looked the young woman straight in the eye. "Remember, those three words if you want to be a good police officer."

She nodded at him and said, "Yes, Chief, thank you I will. I know it is no excuse, but I work a lot of hours and sometimes the only place I can do my homework is right here at this counter. I am sorry, sir." She pulled a book from under the counter and showed it to him. It was the book Ironside had written on police procedure. "This has become my bible. I go back to it every time I can't figure something out."

Ironside smiled and his tone softened. "Stick with it. You will do just fine."

She smiled back at him. "Thank you, Chief. It is all I wanted to be since I was a small child." The detective turned his chair to leave when she called to him, "Chief!"

Turning back to her, he said, "Yes."

"Would you autograph your book for me?"

Ironside took the book from her along with the pen she offered, signed and returned it to her with a smile.

Mark was grinning at the chief's turnaround. When he noticed Ironside looking at him, he wiped the grin from his face. He followed his boss who wheeled over to a lounging area. The detective opened the envelope and read it.

 _Ironside,_

 _If you want to see Sergeant Brown alive, you will do exactly as you are told._

 _You are to be in your room precisely at 8:00AM._

 _You will be given further instructions at that time._

 _Remember, do exactly as you are told or we will kill Sergeant Brown._

 _Do not try to locate him either. If you do, we will return him in a box._

Ironside handed the note to Mark, who read it and handed it back to him. "Why didn't he just give you the instructions in the note?"

"I don't know, Mark. Maybe he is trying to show me that he has the upper hand, or maybe he is trying to see just how far I will go to get Ed back. There is nothing else we can do tonight. Let's go back to bed."

"Are you going to try to find out who sent that note?" Mark asked.

"It came in a plain white envelope, written on plain white paper. Who knows how many people in this hotel handled it. They would have used gloves. The fingerprints we would need would not even be on it. No, we will call Vince in the morning and let him know about it." Ironside began wheeling his chair towards the elevator. Mark followed close behind him until his boss stopped abruptly.

Ironside wheeled back to the check-in counter. The clerked dropped her reading material immediately and said, "Yes, Chief, is there something else I can do for you?"

"Yes, I need a wake-up call for seven in the morning."

She walked over to the console and keyed in the information. "Your phone will ring at seven." She smiled at him.

"Thank you." Ironside turned and headed back to the elevator.

xxxx

It was after three in the morning and Benito Corneilo had not heard from Jimmy Morlino and Billy Torcini. With every minute that past by, his temper rose up a notch. Why couldn't he get more men like Dante. He always kept him informed and he could depend on the man doing the job right. What he had not anticipated was the Las Vegas police getting to Antonio Delano so fast. Yet, he should have. Ironside, what a thorn in his side that man had become. How could a man in a wheelchair be so much trouble? If only the man would travel alone, it would be so much easier to eliminate him altogether.

Dante had called him. He had started the wheel in motion to get Delano back. When he did, Benito had instructed him to kill him immediately. He could not chance him talking to Ironside. Maybe he already had. If that were the case, then it was even more imperative that the man be taken out. Without Delano to testify in a court of law, Ironside would have no evidence to use against him. One thing was for sure, when he got out of this mess, he was going to order Dante to waste Ironside. If he was gone, San Francisco would be his completely.

The phone rang. Benito hurried over to it. He picked it up and shouted, "Jimmy that better be you!"

Morlino pulled the receiver away from his ear and shook his head. Did Corneilo ever talk in a normal tone of voice? How did he ever build such an empire with that temper? "Yes, Boss, it is me. I have Ava with me."

"What the hell took you so long?"

"We had to make sure that the two cops covering her were the only ones. We kept the place under surveillance for a while before we moved in," he lied. In truth, they had not done any surveillance what-so-ever.

"Where are you now?" Benito demanded.

"About five minutes away from your place," Jimmy told him.

"Good. Bring her here immediately." Corneilo hung up the phone. He wondered if he could really do it. Could he kill her? No, he decided. He had wanted to do it himself for her betrayal; he just couldn't kill the only woman he ever loved. He would have to order one of his men to do it.

He did not want to do it, but there wasn't any choice. She had taken up with Ironside's sergeant. The jealousy started to rise within him. That alone was enough to kill her, but the ultimate betrayal was talking to Ironside. God only knew what she had told him. He wasn't sure himself what she knew about his operation; she never seemed to display much interest in it. Still, even if she knew little about it, it could be just enough for Ironside to arrest him. She had to die. There were no ifs about it.

What if she agreed to come back to him? What if she agreed to keep her mouth shut? If she had not given Ironside anything he could use, then maybe they could start anew. Benito knew he was only kidding himself. She had spent the night with Ed Brown. The cop would pay for it. Dante would take care of him while he was in Las Vegas. He could not allow him to live either. He could identify Dante, and Benito had to protect him. The trade would be made, but Ironside would get back a dead officer, and Dante would take care of Delano. That would eliminate all of Ironside's witnesses.

There was a knock on the door. Benito glanced at the clock. It was four-forty-five. He walked slowly over to the door. He was not looking forward to this. Corneilo opened the door. Jimmy Morlina, with his hand around Ava Blake's arm, pushed past him. Bobby Torcini followed him in.

Benito could see the look of terror in her eyes. It hurt him to know that she feared him so. They could have been so good together if she had not chosen to betray him. "Hello, Ava. How's Ironside? Oh, and Sergeant Brown?"

Ava walked up to Corneilo. "Please, Benito," she pleaded. "I did not tell Ironside anything."

Angered by her lie, he raised his arm and back-handed her across the right side of her face. He hit her so hard that she fell to the floor. Ava began crying. "Please, Benito, l promise I will never leave you again."

He jerked her to her feet. "I gave you everything and you take up with Ironside's sergeant. You just had to bring Ironside into this, didn't you. I have worked so hard to stay under his radar and you…" Again, he slapped her face with brute force. Ava crashed to the floor for the second time. Benito reached down and dragged her to her feet. "I loved you. You are mine and now you have been soiled by Brown. You damn tramp!" For the third time, Corneilo back-handed her. She flew backwards. Losing her balance, she fell, hitting her head on the coffee table. When Corneilo pulled her to her feet, this time she was completely limp.

xxxx

Dante Domenico called his man in the desert for the fifth time that morning. Still there was no answer. The man's phone should be working. Domenico had given his men satellite phones. There simply wasn't any reason for them to not work. He did not like it. Brown was not supposed to be left alone for a second. What could be wrong out there? Ironside would demand to talk to Brown. There was no way in hell he would make the trade if he could not confirm his sergeant was alive. It was five o'clock. He had to find out what was going on. He would never make it back here by eight o'clock to make that call to Ironside if he traveled by car.

Dante picked up the phone and dialed. He waited a minute and said. "I need a chopper right away …. I don't care what you've booked. We pay you a nice some of money to be available at a moment's notice. Do you want me to tell Benito you can't take me out there …. I didn't think so. Be ready in ten minutes." He slammed down the phone and headed out the door

xxxx

Ed Brown was not exactly sleeping, nor was he quite awake. He had to be dreaming. He could hear a rattle. Officer Bobby. Mae must be visiting the chief with Bobby. The rattle became louder. Why couldn't the chief play with Bobby in another room? The infernal sound of the rattle was interrupting his sleep. Ed opened his eyes. For a moment he was confused until he remembered where he was. He must have been dreaming about Bobby. But wait, why was he still hearing Bobby's rattle? Ed tried to clear his head. Bobby would not be playing with a rattle anymore. He had outgrown it. There it was again, the rattle. Where was it coming from? The sergeant had only been dreaming. Dreams didn't continue after you woke up.

Brown's suit coat jacket was no longer covering him. It was near his feet on the ground. Ed was still drowsy from his deep slumber. He closed his eyes and tried to go back to sleep. When he began shivering again, he reached toward his feet where his suit coat jacket had been discarded sometime in the night. He picked it up. A snake reared its head up. The tail was shaking and Ed realized the rattle he had heard was not a dream. A rattlesnake had crawled under his jacket, probably for some warmth.

Brown sat perfectly still. The rattlesnake was no further away from him than a few inches. If he moved, it would certainly strike. With the jacket in his hand, he prepared to throw it over the snake. As he pitched his jacket at the rattlesnake, it struck. Ed cried out in pain from the bite of the snake. He scrambled away from it as fast as he could. Brown could spot dozens of snakes in the circular fortress. Fortunately, the entrance was clear of the snakes. Leaving his jacket and shoes behind, the detective hurried as fast as he could to put some distance between him and snakes.

Ed knew he was in trouble. There was no hospital out in the middle of the desert; no one to help him. He had to do something about getting the rattlesnake's venom out of his body, but how? He did not have a pocket knife with him. Dante Domenico made sure he had nothing he could defend himself with. He would be dead in less than an hour if he didn't find some way ... wait, he had the means to remove at least most of the venom. Ed said down beside a large cactus. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the razor blade he had placed there in paper. Brown rolled up the pant leg of his suit pants. The bite wound had already turned the skin around it a nasty shade of red.

He was not looking forward to the pain he would cause himself, but the alternative certainly was far worse. He would have to be careful not to cut into his leg too deeply. The sergeant did not want to bleed to death. Using the razor blade between his fingers, Ed held his breath and cut directly into the wound. Blood began oozing. Ed yelled out at the pain, but kept cutting the skin until he was satisfied that he had dug deep enough.

Brown certainly was not as limber as he used to be. He hoped he was limber enough for what he had to do. Placing left arm under his leg, he drew it towards his head. Ed knew he had to suck the poison from his leg and he had to do it now before it spread throughout his system. If that happen, he would be dead before Chief Ironside could locate him. He might be anyway, if he was unable to suck the poison out.

Having trouble drawing his leg close enough, he decided he would just have to chance tearing muscles or anything else that was stopping him from stretching his leg far enough. Ed reached behind his leg, this time with both arms, and with one quick jerking motion was successful in forcing his leg to his mouth. It was not without damage, though, as he felt something give way in his knee. He would worry about that later.

Sergeant Ed Brown placed his mouth over the snake bite and began sucking. When he got a mouthful of venom, he spit it out on the ground. For the next twenty minutes, Ed repeated the process; sucking and spitting venom and blood on the ground. Unsure whether he had all of it, he decided he had gotten most of it. He just hoped that whatever was left was not enough to poison his bloodstream.

He needed to rinse out his mouth. Then he remembered, he had left the half-filled jug of water in the circular fortress. He needed that water, yet he knew with the number of snakes that he saw there, he would risk being bitten again and by more than one snake. Brown did not care for his choices. He could either die of rattlesnake venom or he could die of dehydration from the lack of water and intense heat. Ed had to move on now before the heat of the desert became unbearable.

Reaching down to the ground, Ed picked up as much dirt as his hand would hold and shoved it into his mouth. Without the water to rinse out whatever venom remained there, the next best thing was to let the dirt soak it up. He moved the dirt around in his mouth until he figured he had dried it out, and then begin spitting it out onto the ground. Ed cleared as much of the dirt as he could, and tried to produce enough saliva to help mix with the remaining dirt which he also spit out onto the ground.

He sat there for a few minutes contemplating his next move. Finally, he rolled his pant leg back down and stood up. His right knee screamed in pain as Ed fell back down. In the process of the final push to stretch his leg to his mouth, he knew he had torn something. He tried standing again, this time much more slowly throwing his weight to his left leg. As he put the right leg down, pain shot through his knee. His blistered feet burned and pained as he no longer had his shoes to protect them from the uneven terrain of the ground.

Having no other choice but to continue through the desert, Ed Brown hobbled slowly towards what he hoped was a town. He knew he could not depend on the chief to find him, yet prayed that be the case.

Although slowed down by the snake bite and the injury to his knee and feet, he pressed on.


	17. Chapter 17

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 17

Dante Domenico looked out the window of the helicopter. He hoped Brown had not somehow gotten away from his man. He didn't doubt the sergeant could be resourceful. He would not be working for Ironside if he wasn't. Dante just could not imagine how Brown could have gotten away from one of his men if he kept him locked in the bedroom, and kept a gun on him when he went to the bathroom.

He had to be back to call Ironside at eight o'clock. He would do it from his satellite phone. He was going to try to make it back to Vegas to call the cripple, but he realized he was not thinking straight. How could he call Ironside from the city when he was holding Brown out in the desert. He had no doubt the cop would demand to talk to his sergeant. He would either have to bring Brown to the city or go to him in the desert so that he could put him on the phone.

Dante brought a couple men with him to make sure he kept Brown under control, that was if he hadn't gotten away from the man he had holding him. Domenico certainly did not want to call Benito and tell him he had lost Brown. He could not fail to force Ironside to make the trade. Antonio Delano had to be silence or they were all out of business. He had not yet figured out how he was going to make a trade when he had no intention of turning Ed Brown over to Ironside. Brown would tell the cripple that he was the one that abducted him. He would figure that out later. Right now it was more important that he make sure he still had the damn detective at the house in the desert. He had a really bad feeling about this, and when he got a bad feeling, it was never wrong.

He could see the house below them. He tapped the pilot on the shoulder. "Put us down, right there." He pointed directly below them. The pilot did exactly as he was told to do. He knew better than to mess with Domenico or Corneilo. They would kill him with out thought, and he knew it. He set the chopper down directly in front of the house. Domenico shouted over the noise of the chopper. "Shut it down and get out."

The pilot did not like it but knew he had no choice. He did what he was told. Domenico's men got out of the chopper with them, and all four men headed toward the house. Dante noticed the door was open. Now he had no doubt something was wrong. He pulled out his gun and the two men with him did the same. Directing one of them to the other side of the door, he pushed it open further. He nodded to the man on the opposite side, and they burst into the house to silence. "Check the bedroom," he ordered.

The other man pushed the pilot into the house ahead of him. If he was going to get shot at, he would prefer the pilot bought it and not him. Domenico waited for his man to return. When he did, he said, "There is no one back there."

"Damn it," shouted Dante. "I should have known better than to leave that weasel in charge." Now Brown was gone and he had to call Ironside. Looking at his watch, he noted it was five minutes to eight. There was no time to see if they could locate the damn cop. He would have to find him after his call to the cripple.

"Sit down, we are going to be here for a while," Dante told them.

"Look, man, I have to get back to Vegas. I have a job to do," the pilot said.

Domenico walked over to him. Using the butt of the gun, he struck the pilot in the jaw. He fell backwards and landed on his back on the floor. "I don't care what you have to do. You are going to use that chopper to help me find that stinking cop."

The pilot pushed himself across the floor, backing away from the enraged mobster. He was now beginning to fear for his life. He believed Domenico had no intentions of letting him live. He knew they had abducted someone and had been holding him here. He would not want a witness to that. The pilot was sure he would only keep him alive until he flew them back to Vegas.

Domenico checked his watch again. It was time as his watch read eight o'clock. "Give me the damn phone," he snarled at one of his men. The guy responded immediately, almost tripping over his own feet to accommodate him. If he had a temper anything like Corneilo, he would shoot anyone who did not follow his orders and do exactly as told to do.

Dante called Ironside's hotel and asked for his room. The desk clerk sent the call through immediately. It was answered by Mark Sanger.

"Hello," Mark said.

"Put Ironside on and don't try to trace the call. We won't be on that long," Dante said.

"Chief, it's the kidnapper," Mark told him.

Ironside wheeled over to the phone and took the receiver from his aid. Placing it to his ear, he barked, "Ironside."

"Just listen and don't talk, Ironside. You will bring Antonio Delano to the following coordinates at noon tomorrow." He gave him the coordinates in the desert. You are to fly him in by helicopter. If I see anyone, and I do mean anyone other than you on that chopper, Brown is a dead man. We will make the exchange there."

"I can't get out of a chopper without the help of my aid, Mark Sanger," Ironside said.

"Fine, bring Sanger, but no one else or I kill Brown."

"I want to talk to my sergeant," Ironside insisted.

"You'll talk to him after the exchange is made and not before then," Dante said, knowing he could not produce him at the moment.

"Now!" Ironside said, raising his voice. I am not making a trade without knowing whether or not he is still alive."

"Then Brown is a dead man. Be there with Delano, Ironside. You are not in charge." Dante hung up the phone.

Ironside immediately wrote down the coordinates.

Domenico had cut the call quickly. If he had allowed it, Ironside would have kept him on the phone until he had time to trace the call. Dante knew better than to allow that. Domenico obviously could not give into Ironside's demand to talk to Ed Brown. He had to find him. Chances of him dying in the desert were high. He would run into all sorts of problems in the way of cougars, coyotes, and snakes. Yet, Dante was not about to rely on Brown not making it out of the desert alive.

He turned to the two men that accompanied him. "I want Brown found if he is alive, or his body if he isn't. If we find him alive, kill him, and make it look like he died from the elements. I don't want him tied to us or Benito. Is that clear?"

"It's clear," Bruno said. "We will find him."

Dante walked over to the pilot. "Call your boss and tell him to send a chopper to pick me up."

"I don't think he can spare another chopper. He made a sacrifice to let you use this one."

Dante turned sharply. "You get him on the phone and tell him to get another chopper out here and do it now." He grabbed the pilot by the throat. "Unless of course, you would rather die right here and now?"

Choking from the hold Domenico had on his throat, he tried to answer him. "Alright ... I will ... call him."

Domenico let go of his throat. "See how easy it is when you put your mind to it." He handed the pilot the satellite phone. "Call the boss." Domenico waited and listened to the pilot's side of the conversation. He could tell his boss did not want to send a second helicopter. Dante didn't care what he wanted. He was going to send that chopper or he was going to kill the man the next time he saw him. He waited patiently while the pilot worked to convince his boss to send a second chopper.

Domenico became impatient after the pilot was on the phone longer than he cared for him to be. He tore it out of the pilot's hand and shouted into the phone. "Send the damn chopper or you will be looking over your shoulder for the rest of your life, which I guarantee will not be very long." He told him where they were and hung up the phone.

Looking at the two men that he brought with him, he snarled, "You two stay here and wait for that second chopper. I will go up with the pilot and start looking for Brown." He signaled for the pilot to follow him. They got in the chopper, the pilot started it up, and the bird raised straight up into the air. The two thugs that had been left behind went back into the house. It had already started to get hot. They would see if Dante had any beer in the refrigerator while they waited for the second chopper.

xxxx

Ed continued to wander through the desert. The heat was beginning to get to him. He stopped and sat down on a rock. Lifting his pant leg, he looked at the bite wound on his leg. The skin around it was red and swollen. Brown did not like the looks of it. He hoped he had been able to remove enough of the poisonous venom. Worried about the heat and the lack of water, he did not need this.

He lowered his pant leg, stood up and continued. He could barely put one foot in front of the other. The bottom of his feet had broken blisters. Ed limped forward, his head down, trying to avoid stepping on anything that would do any further damage to his feet. He was beginning to regret not going back for his shoes. At the time he simply did not want to deal with anymore rattlesnakes. Ed wished he had never taken those shoes off. On the other hand, how could he ever know he had entered a snake pit.

Unfortunately, the decision not to go back just might cost him his life. He had no water. If he had grabbed the jog of water, he could have stretched it for a few days. As it stood now, he would not last very long in this heat. If the lack of water didn't kill him, the snake bite just might. Even though he probably got out most of the venom, Ed was not kidding himself. Some amount of poison could still be in his system. If he did not get help soon, even a small amount of venom could kill him.

As he watched the ground while limping along, a scorpion scrambled across his path. Ed stopped his forward movement to allow it to go by. The last thing he needed was to tangle with another of the desert's creatures. He already had enough to deal with.

Ed wondered if he would ever find his way out of the flaming desert, as the chief would say. In fact, the chief's use of the word certainly fit his situation, it was a flaming desert, hotter than hell itself!

Without anything else he could do, Ed continue to walk to what he hoped was civilization.

xxxx

"Mark, call Eve's room. Tell her to hurry up. The longer we wait, the less chance we have of finding Ed alive," Ironside said.

No sooner did Mark pick up the receiver of the phone that there was a knock on the chief's door. Mark set the phone back in the cradle and went to the door. When he opened it, Eve walked into the room.

"Chief, I checked on the choppers. They are on the roof and waiting for us," she reported to him.

"Well then, let's not keep those pilots waiting." Ironside wheeled towards the door. Eve opened it for him and Mark pushed their boss out into the hall. The three friends headed for the closest elevator. The chief turned his chair around and backed into it after the door opened. Eve and Mark stepped inside, as he pushed the button for the roof.

To Robert Ironside, the ride to the roof seemed like an eternity. The only thing on his mind was to find Ed. He thought back to the time when Ed had been kidnapped by an escapee from a prison camp. DW Donnelly had claimed that he had witnessed a murder at the camp, and that Harvey Poole had allowed him to escape in order to kill him as a fugitive. He remembered how he, Eve and Mark had worked to locate Ed, fearing that Poole would order Ed killed as well. After all, he would have no idea what Donnelly had told Ed.*

This situation was not too much different. Ed had been kidnapped by mobsters. Ironside had no illusions. Benito Corneilo and Dante Domenico could not allow Ed out of that desert alive. The odds were high that Ed knew who forced him to leave his hotel room. They could not afford to allow him to make it out of the desert. If Ironside did not find him first, he was a dead man either by the hands of Dante Domenico or by the heat of the desert.. He might be already. His captor, Ironside was betting, was Domenico. He did all the dirty work for Corneilo. The mobster's favorite hit man was sitting in jail and had told the police plenty. With his testimony, Corneilo would go to prison for the rest of his life. There wasn't any doubt that Benito had ordered the hit on Senator Murdock. All the rest of what he had done was immaterial, at least in a court of law. They had enough on him without all of the rest of the crimes he had committed. As long as they could keep Delano alive and get him to testify, Benito Corneilo was out of business.

Of course, some other mobster would step up to take his place; Ironside would deal with the next guy, whoever he would be, when the time came. All of these type of people thought they were invulnerable, but sooner or later they all made a fatal mistake, just like Corneilo had done.

The door to the elevator opened and Ironside wheeled out onto the roof. As Eve had informed him, two helicopters were waiting for them. "Mark and I will ride in one. Eve you ride in the other. The pilot has been told to stay back until I order you in."

"Chief, I am a bit concerned. Won't Domenico kill Ed when he sees the chopper land?" Eve never liked to second guess the chief's orders, yet she would if the safety of Ed or Mark was involved.

"I don't think he even has Ed," Ironside responded.

That remark caught Mark's attention. "If you don't think he has Ed, then why are we even looking for this house of Corneilo's?"

"Ed will have left a clue of some kind, Mark. Whatever it is, it just might lead us to him."

Eve took a couple steps forward so that she was standing right beside Ironside. What makes you think Domenico doesn't have Ed?"

"It is a simple case of deduction, Eve. I demanded to talk to Ed. Domenico said I could talk to him when the exchange was made. If he had Ed, he would have put him on the phone to reassure me that Ed is still alive."

"It could mean ... " Eve started to say.

"That Domenico has already killed him," Ironside said, regretfully.

They were all quiet for a moment before Eve insisted, "He didn't." She could not accept anything else.

Mark stepped behind Chief Ironside and pushed him towards the chopper. The pilot helped Mark get the chief into the helicopter. Within a couple minutes, both choppers were in the air and headed out into the Mojave desert.

xxxx

As he had the day before, Ed Brown had sweated through his clothes. Soaking wet with sweat, thirsty and in considerable pain, he pushed on. He stopped ever so often to catch his breath. It was so hot that Ed was having trouble drawing in air. At least he hoped that was the reason. He seemed to remember one of the symptoms of a rattlesnake bite included trouble breathing. He was worried whatever poison that was left in his system could be starting to spread through his bloodstream.

Ed stopped again. He was losing the battle for survival and he knew it. If all he had to deal with was lack of water, he might be able to hold out until Chief Ironside figured out where he was. Brown was tired, dead tired. He could not be sure that it was the heat causing it or the rattlesnake bite. Both could drain him. What bothered him most is that he did not know, not that he could do anything about it. Ed was aware a rattlesnake bite could cause severe pain, which he had; thirst which he also had. It also could cause tiredness and muscle weakness. He had all these symptoms. The problem was the conditions he was under could cause them as well.

Ed read somewhere the bite could also cause low blood pressure and drooping eyelids. He did not carry a blood pressure cup so there was no way of telling if he had that symptom yet. Despite, the weakness in his muscles and being dead tired, his eyes were wide open. The lids were not drooping. Time would tell if they were symptoms of the rattlesnake bite, or the lack of water and the ungodly heat.

He did not stop this time even though every muscle in his body was screaming for him to rest. Ed was afraid if he stopped again, he would never get up. He had to keep moving and hope his boss would locate him, especially if he was not traveling a direction that would take him to people who could help him. At this point, he would almost welcome Domenico finding him.

Ed looked up at the sun. It was directly overhead which told him that it was noon. How much further to a city? He didn't know, but he would find it. He had no choice ... if he wanted to live.

xxxx

Ironside stopped looking out the window long enough to check his watch; it was twelve o'clock. He had no idea how hot it was. Inside the chopper the cool air flowed. The temperature was controlled. Down below them he knew the heat would be unbearable for Ed. He had no way to get out of the sun. Deserts were unforgiving when it came to shelter. Up ahead there seem to be a covering. It caught the chief's eye. It looked to him as if it might be hand made. Ironside tapped the pilot on the shoulder and pointed to the covering. The pilot began circling it and Ironside spotted a house. It was not much of one, it was extremely small, more of a shack really. It had to be where Domenico took people just before they disappeared, never to be seen again.

Satisfied that no one was around, Ironside order the pilot to land the chopper beside the shack. Once on the ground, Ironside ordered the other chopper to join them. Mark open the chief's chair, locked the wheels and then helped his boss into it. The other chopper landed and Eve Whitfield joined them.

Robert Ironside looked up when he heard three more helicopters that were off in the distance. When they got close enough, he could see the police markings on them. They landed not far from the chopper that had carried the chief. Captain Vince Gillis stepped out of the closest one. With his gun drawn and carrying a bullhorn in the other, he headed straight for Ironside.

"Let's move in," Ironside said. Gillis nodded. Several police officers got out of the helicopters and they surrounded the house.

Gillis, using the bullhorn, ordered whoever was in the house to surrender. There was no response. He tried again with no results. "Well, Bob?"

"Let's go," Ironside said.

Gillis ordered his men to enter the house. Eve Whitfield, concerned for Ed, entered with them. A minute later Eve reappeared. She went directly over to the chief. "There is no one in the house, Chief."

He wheeled his chair forward. When he reached the door, he put a hand on each side of the door frame and pulled his chair into the house. Eve and Mark followed him in.

Gillis ordered one of his men to dust for prints while Ironside addressed his policewoman. "Eve, check and see if there is a bedroom, one they could have held Ed in."

Eve left his side and headed in the small hall. With only one bedroom, she entered it. There were cops in the room dusting for prints. Eve checked around the room. She and Mark looked for something Ed could have left, something that would give them some kind of clue as to where he went.

A moment later Ironside entered the room. "Anything?"

Eve shook her head. "Nothing yet, Chief. No notes, nothing scratched into the wood or the furniture."

Ironside looked at the only door in the bedroom. "Is that a closet?"

"I don't know, I was about to check," Eve told him. She walked over and opened the door. She went inside the small closet. It was empty. Eve checked the side walls and the back one. There was nothing there that would help them. "Chief, there is nothing here," she said as soon as she saw him at the door."

"Look again, Ed had to have left something," he insisted.

Eve recheck the walls with the same result. She turned around and shook her head when she notice something to the right side of the frame. "Chief! Here it is. Ed did leave us a message!"

"What does it say?" Ironside demanded.

"Headed west on foot," she read.

"Let's go," Ironside said. He turned his chair around and left the shack. _Hang on Ed, we'll find you_ ," he thought.

*Refers to the Ironside episode, Poole's Paradise


	18. Chapter 18

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 18

Captain Vince Gillis walked out of the house Sergeant Ed Brown had been held in. He could see his friend was worried. He followed Chief Ironside over to the helicopter he had been flown in on. "About the only thing we know is that your sergeant is on foot and headed west."

"It is more than we knew this morning," Ironside replied. He remained silent for a moment. One thing in particular was bothering him. He had to know the answer to a question, and Vince was the man to asked. He put his hand up to block the sun from his eyes and said, "Vince, do we know where Dante Domenico is right now."

"I have men keeping an eye on him," Vince answered. "We can certainly find out."

"Do it. I have a feeling he did not have Ed when he called me." Ironside explained how he had asked to talk to him, and Domenico would not allow him to.

"It doesn't necessarily mean he was not holding him," Captain Gillis said. He removed a handkerchief from his pocket, took off his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow.

"No, there was something in his voice," the chief said. "If he had been holding Ed, he would have let me speak with him. He had to assure me that Ed is still alive, and he was not willing to do that. Vince, I am convinced that somehow Ed got away from Domenico or his men. The note that he scratched into the wall of that closet proves that. What we don't know is how far away from here did he get before Domenico found out. We need to know where Dante Domenico is," Ironside insisted.

The captain nodded and left Ironside as he headed for the police helicopter he had flown in on. He instructed the pilot to contact the men that were keeping an eye on Domenico. The pilot got on the radio and contacted police headquarters, who patched him into the police officers. Gillis talked to one of the men. The longer he spoke to them, the deeper the frown on his face became.

Ironside watched from a distance and his power of observation told him the news was not good. He waited impatiently for the captain to return to him. Mark and Eve stood nearby waiting for Vince Gillis as well.

When Gillis completed the call, he handed the headphones and microphone back to the pilot. He walked back to the San Francisco detective with his head down. As he reached Ironside, he tipped his hat back on his head. Perspiration was running down his face. Again, he pulled out his handkerchief and wiped his face dry.

"Our men lost Domenico," Vince reported.

"Damn it!" Ironside cursed.

"It is alright, Bob," Vince assured him. "We know where he went."

Ironside looked back at his friend and asked, "How do we know?"

"Because he went to the roof of the building and flew off in a helicopter."

"Which means he is out here trying to locate Ed," Ironside finished.

"Exactly, and if we want to keep your sergeant alive, we damn well better find him first," Vince Gillis said.

"Well, we aren't going to do that standing around here," Ironside growled. He turned his chair around and headed over to the chopper. Eve and Mark joined him. After Mark and Vince helped him into the helicopter, the captain went back to his ride. He signaled all of the pilots to lift off.

xxxx

The sun punished Ed Brown with its scorching rays. He could not remember when he had ever endured such intense heat. He looked as if he had been traveling in a driving rain. The sweat rolled off his face and dripped onto an already soaking wet shirt. If he had known that he would be roaming around in the desert, he would have dressed more appropriately, shorts and a sleeveless shirt would have suited him much better.

Brown found another rock to sit down on and rest. He wasn't sure sitting was a good idea. Ed was afraid he would not be able to get back up. Exhaustion and pain just might convince him to stay right where he was. He scolded himself for his defeatist attitude. The chief had been in situations every bit as bad as this and he not only survived, but also defeated his enemies.

The sergeant had more than Dante Domenico and his henchmen to deal with. His more immediate enemy was the Mojave Desert and the big flaming ball of fire in the sky. If he ever got out of this alive, he would never again complain about the rain in San Francisco. He only wished his beloved city would share a bit of the liquid with the Mojave.

Brown could hear the the hum of a helicopter in the distance. He had to push down the panic he was beginning to feel, but all he could think of was Domenico had discovered he was missing. He had no doubt the man had the resources to obtain the use of a helicopter to search for him. He had no choice but to find him. Ed's testimony in a court of law would put him and his boss behind bars for the rest of their lives.

If Benito Corneilo's top thug's intention was to trade him for Antonio Delano, he was in for a big disappointment. No matter how much Ironside would like to, he could not make a trade. Ed figured his boss would know that Domenico no longer was holding him the minute he refused to let Ironside talk to him. The chief would know he either lost him or killed him. Ironside would be relentless in trying to find out which.

Ed's hope was that his boss had sweated Delano into telling him about the house in the desert. Ironside would know that somehow his sergeant would leave him a message. Regardless of the fact that he had placed it in the closet of the bedroom, the chief would check every inch of the place until he found it. That helicopter could be his boss trying to locate him in this desert.

Ed scrambled to find a place to conceal himself until he could determine whether the chopper contained friend or foe. He didn't dare take the chance. If it was Dante Domenico, he could not allow him to find him, but if it was the chief, he had to let him know that he was below him.

Brown stood up, the pain shot through his leg. He fell back to the ground. The sound of the chopper was getting close. He had to find a place to hide. He tried getting up again, this time prepared for the severe pain that would result, and it did. Gritting his teeth, he stood up and ran for the only cover he could find. An overhang of rocks to the south of his position would provide the cover he needed. He attempted to run on the painful leg with some success. He knew the chopper would be overhead before he would make it, if he remained on his feet. Ed dropped to the ground and rolled under the overhang just as the helicopter came into view.

Squinting his eyes, he attempted to see if the chopper had police markings. As it dropped lower, it became apparent that the pilot was going to fly by his hiding place. Domenico would know that he would find a place to conceal his presence. Fortunately, Brown could push his body far enough under the overhang so he would not be visible to the occupants in the bird above. He held his breath as it dropped low enough for someone to jump to the ground. It hovered beside him. At that point, he didn't know whether he would be alive much longer, but then suddenly the chopper lifted back into the air and went on its way.

Ed's heart was beating so fast, he thought it would beat right out of his chest. He laid there for a minute to allow the adrenaline to calm. He took a deep breath and then rolled out from underneath the rock formation. He had been able to see the helicopter and it had no police markings. He was sure the chief would have enlisted the help of Captain Gillis. That meant police choppers. He was sure of it.

The sergeant had been lucky this time. There had been somewhere he could hide. He might not be so lucky next time. He took the time to roll up his pant leg. Ed was shocked at what he saw. The bite wound was beet red and horribly swollen. He now had no doubt that at least some of the venom of the rattlesnake had entered his system. If he had not sucked most of the poison out of the bite wound, he would already be dead. Unfortunately, he knew the clock was ticking. He had only delayed his death. If the chief did not find him soon, he would either die from the desert heat or from the poison that rattlesnake had injected into his system.

Brown rolled down the pant leg and tried to stand up. His feet were raw on the bottom, his leg was throbbing, muscles felt like jelly. The only thing that got the sergeant off the ground was the sheer determination not to let the chief down. He would live to testify against Dante Domenico and Benito Corneilo.

xxxx

"Damn it, he has to be out here somewhere," Domenico shouted. He looked down below the helicopter and all he could see was miles of desert. Where could Brown be? If the heat had gotten him, they should at least spot his body. How far could a man on foot go?

The man beside him looked out the other side of the window, attempting to ignore Domenico's ranting. He could not understand why he just did not turn the chopper around and head back in. Brown was dead. If the heat didn't get him, then a cougar, scorpion or a rattlesnake would. There was no way that city slicker would survive in those conditions. He wondered how long Dante would keep them out here looking for the San Francisco cop.

After another half-hour of searching, he snarled at the pilot, "Circle back. There is no way he could have gotten this far on foot." As the helicopter turned back in the direction they had come, he became more determined to find Brown before Ironside did. He had no doubt Ironside figured out that he did not have Brown. He would have located that little shack in the desert. He was out here looking for him as well. He simply had to find him first and silence him before he had a chance to talk to his boss.

xxxx

Ironside continued looking out the window of the chopper. He could see the other choppers in the distance. They had spread out and stayed in formation to cover a larger area. If Ed was down there, one of them most certainly would find him.

Off in a distance, he spotted what appeared as a large circular rock formation. Something within him told him it would have been a perfect place for Ed to hold up for the night. Ironside spoke in to mic that was placed over his head like stereo headphones. "We are going to check out the rock formation below. The rest of you stay in the air. We will catch up with you." The chief tapped the pilot on the shoulder and pointed down. The pilot nodded his head and began lowering the chopper.

When it had settled on the ground, Eve and Mark jumped out of the helicopter, prepared to run for the inside of the rock formation. The chief reached into his suit coat pocket and pulled out his service revolver, handing it to Mark. Ironside remained impatiently in the chopper for them to report back to him.

Eve, who had joined Mark and the boss in the chopper, pulled out her service revolver as they entered. She motioned for Mark to stay close by. The two of them moved slowly surveying the area as they went. Suddenly, Mark shouted, "Over there!"

Eve looked in the direction Mark was pointing. When she saw what Mark had spotted, she ran with him to it. Mark picked up Ed's suit coat jacket. When he did he heard the rattle and saw too late the snake that had been sleeping under it. It struck, but Mark heard a shot coming from his left side. Eve had aimed and shot the snake, severing its head from the body.

Mark looked back at her and said, "Thanks."

Eve smiled "You are welcome." She looked at the suit jacket in Mark's hand. "That's Ed's."

"At least we know he is alive," Mark said.

Eve bent down and reached for the jug of water that laid close by. "At least he was when he was here."

"What do you mean? This is his jacket," Mark pointed out.

"And those are his shoes. He is out there with no shoes and apparently no water. What could make him leave without them?

Behind Eve, the sound of the rattle invaded their space. It was Mark's turn to shoot the snake. He thanked the chief silently for taking him with him to the police firing range. Mark had become a pretty good shot because of it. "Thanks," Eve said, smiling.

"We are even," Mark grinned.

Eve looked to their right, several rattlesnakes were under the overhang and they were warning the intruders with their tails. "Let's get out of here," she told Mark.

"You will get no argument from me," Mark said.

With Ed's shoes, suit jacket and the jug of water in hand, the two headed back to the awaiting helicopter and a very anxious chief. Eve threw the shoes and jacket in the back as Mark handed the jug of water to Ironside.

"What was the gunfire about?" Ironside demanded. "No sign of Ed?"

"It is full of rattlesnakes, Chief," Eve reported. "We had to shoot a couple that got too close."

Ironside looked down at Brown's shoes and jacket. He handed the jug of water back to Mark. "If he left without these, it could mean ... "

"The snakes," Eve said, "you would leave in a hurry if you saw all those snakes."

"Eve, Ed would have arrived at this point last night. He may not have seen the snakes," the chief said.

Eve realized what the chief was getting at. "When Mark picked up Ed's jacket, there was a rattlesnake under it. I shot it before it could bite him."

"Which means, if Ed spent the night here, the same thing could have happened to him, but he would not have a gun to shoot it."

"You mean, it could have struck Ed?" Mark wondered aloud.

"Chief, that could explain why he left his jacket, shoes and water behind. He could have just scrambled out of there without thinking. He would have just wanted to get away from the snakes," Eve surmised.

"And if he was bitten?" Mark did not like the answer to that question.

"Ed would know enough to suck out as much poison as possible," Eve pointed out.

"If he had something to open up the wound." Now Ironside was even more worried about his sergeant. If he had been bitten and he suspected that was the case, Ed would already be dead if he had been unable to suck out most of the poison. Even if he had been able to, he never would have gotten all of it. It now was more imperative that they find him. "Get this chopper in the air," he growled at the pilot. He spoke into the microphone, "This is Ironside. Sergeant Brown may have been bitten by a rattlesnake. Spread out so we can cover more ground. If anyone spots him, I want to know immediately."

He continued his search of the ground below them. If they didn't find Ed soon, they would not find him alive.

xxxx

Thirst, Ed could not believe how thirsty he was. He had always taken water for granted. In fact, he preferred a good hot cup of coffee to a bottle of water, not that he didn't drink water, he did. Right now, he would take the water over coffee no matter how good Eve's coffee was. His throat was dry. He could barely produce any saliva. The pain in his leg was becoming unbearable and his feet burned with every step and felt like they were on fire. Nothing he had ever done even began to compare with what he was experiencing.

He was having trouble keeping his eyes open. When he realized that, he began to panic. He remembered drooping lids were a sign of rattlesnake poisoning. Nevertheless, he pushed on. What choice did he have? Ed's vision was beginning to blur. He was now having trouble putting one foot in front of the other. He thought he heard the sound of another helicopter, but when he looked into the sky, he could not make out the shape. He took another step and collapsed to the ground. He knew he should get up, but all of his strength had been drained. Just before the helicopter came into view, he passed out.

xxxx

Dante Domenico thought he saw the shape of a man below, but the chopper flew right on by. "Circle back, I think I just spotted Brown. The pilot did as he was told. When they came upon the body of Sergeant Brown, Domenico instructed the pilot to descend down. They were only a few feet above Ed when Domenico notice his right pant leg was pulled up and his leg was exposed. He ordered the chopper pilot to land.

"Stay here," he ordered his man. Domenico got out of the helicopter and walked over to Ed. He looked at his red, swollen leg and recognized the rattlesnake bite that was the cause. The socks on his feet were in shreds, his feet blistered and bleeding. Dante checked his pulse. Brown was still alive, but his pulse was weak. The mobster pulled out his gun and placed it at Ed's temple. As he got ready to pull the trigger, he changed his mind. If Ironside found a bullet in his head, he would never stop looking for Brown's killer. Brown was going to die anyway, it was only a matter of time. Better to let him die of the heat and the rattlesnake venom. A bullet might be traced back to him, but this could not be. He put his gun back in his holster and walked back to the helicopter. After getting back in, he snarled at the pilot, "Get us out of here. Back to Vegas."

xxxx

The police choppers did as the chief had instructed and spread out to cover more ground. Robert Ironside knew they were running out of time. If they did not find Ed soon, they surely would not find him alive when they did. He, Mark and Eve search the area below them, hoping against hope to spot Brown somewhere down there on foot.

All the chief could think of was whether this was his fault. He should have resisted Ed's insistence that he be allowed to pick up Delano. At the very least, Ironside was regretting not sending Carl Reese along with him. After all, Ed could not complain if he had sent back up with him. Yet, Ed had handled the job right; he had enlisted the help of Captain Vince Gillis to go after Antonio Delano. He could not fault him for the way he handled the job.

Placing the blame on himself was not going to find Ed. He tried to shake the thought out of his head, when he heard Vince's voice over the chopper radio. "Bob, we have Brown in sight!"

Relief flooded through Ironside only to have it cruelly stripped from him when he heard Vince say, "He's lying on the ground. He does not appear to be moving." Gillis gave Ironside his location.

The chief turned to instruct the pilot, but the pilot shouted, "I got it. That is not far from here. He dipped to the north and headed in the direction Gillis had given them.

Ironside was almost convinced the helicopter was taking the scenic route, as it seemed to be taking forever to get to a place the pilot said was not far from here. He spotted three choppers on the ground below as the pilot hovered over them. Ironside's heart sank when he saw Ed on the ground. There was a doctor working on him as the pilot landed some distance away.

Mark did not wait for the order he knew would be coming from the chief. He pulled the wheelchair out of the back, opened it and helped his boss into it. Eve ran on ahead and arrived at Ed's side as Mark pushed Ironside's wheelchair over the rough terrain, until he rested it near their fallen friend.

Before Ironside could say a word, Vince Gillis was at his side. "He was bitten by a rattlesnake, Bob, but he apparently was able to open the wound and remove most of the poison. He's weak but he is still alive. The doctor is treating him now. He's in bad shape, but the doctor seems to think we have found him in time. He is pumping him full of fluids for the dehydration and antibiotics to combat what poison is in his system. As soon as they get him stabilized, they will put him in a chopper and airlift him to a hospital."

Eve came over to the chief and Mark. She put her arms around Ironside, who took her hands and squeezed. They waited until they had Ed in the helicopter and watched as it rose into the air and flew away. "Let's go Mark." The only thing on his mind besides Ed, was Dante Domenico and Benito Corneilo. He was going to nail those bastards.


	19. Chapter 19

The Disappearance of Sergeant Ed Brown

Chapter 19

Ironside wheeled his chair into Sergeant Ed Brown's room. Hooked up to IV's, Ed's system was being purged of the poisons the rattlesnake had deposited into him. His feet were wrapped with bandages to protect them. The hospital had cleaned him up. He was no longer sweat covered. The IV's had helped to re-hydrate him as well.

Despite the fact that his sergeant was on the mend, Ironside contained the rising anger for what his friend and co-worker had to endure at the hands of Dante Domenico. He ordered Eve to help the Las Vegas police find the man. Ironside was committed to putting every last one of the mobsters responsible for what they did to Ed, and for the murder of Senator Murdock in jail. Benito Corneilo and Dante Domenico were going to spend the rest of their miserable lives behind bars.

Ed stirred and opened his eyes for the first time since being brought into the hospital. He looked over at his boss and smiled. Using the classic line they always used on one another, Brown quipped, "What took you so long?"

With a straight face Ironside said, "How was I to know you intended to take a stroll in the desert instead of tending to the job? Great choice Sergeant, who else would decide to bed down in a snake pit?"

Ed chuckled. "All things considered, it was not worse than the snake pit that Domenico had planned for me. "Do we have him in custody yet?"

The chief shook his head. "I could not arrest him until you could tell me that he was the one that abducted you."

"Well, I am telling you," Ed said. "He showed up at my hotel room. I had just stepped out of the shower when I found him sitting there. I did not have a chance to get to my gun. I had no choice, Chief."

Ironside waived his hand. "I am not questioning that, Ed. However, I am questioning your attire for your stroll in the desert."

Ed smiled. The chief always had a way of making you feel better when you were hurting. "Did you send my suit to the cleaners?"

Ironside could not hold the poker face any longer, he started to laugh, which made Brown laugh right along with him. When both men regained their composure, the chief said, "I have Eve out with the Las Vegas police looking for Domenico now."

"Chief, he planned to try to get you to trade me for Delano."

"I know that. He called me and suggested just that. However, I figured when he would not put you on the phone, that you either got away from him or ..."

"Or he had already killed me," Ed finished for him.

Ironside shook his head once to the side. "I could not even entertain that thought."

"Oh, you thought about it all right," Ed said with a smile. "You turn over every stone. He won't call now. He has nothing to trade and he is not going to get anywhere near you."

"I am not sure that is the case, Ed. There was evidence another chopper landed near you. I think that was Domenico. We had men watching him and he went up in a chopper. I am betting he found you. When he saw the condition you were in, he probably thought you would die before we found you. He likely figured it was better he let you die in the desert rather then shoot you. A bullet can be traced."

"You must have found that little house in the desert," Ed said. "I am assuming you found the note I scratched in the closet."

"We did. Delano gave us the location of the house. Eve found your message in the closet."

"Where do we go from here?" Ed asked.

"I have put you under police protection, or rather Vince Gillis has. We will arrest Domenico as soon as we can find him. Then we take Delano back to San Francisco to stand trial. I am sure the district attorney will forego the death penalty in order to get him to testify against Corneilo and Domenico. That should put them where they belong," Ironside said.

Ed closed his eyes. "My feet hurt."

"They'll heal. You just sit there and recover. We'll take care of the rest."

xxxx

"Did we ever find the son of a bitch that let Ed Brown get away?" Dante Domenico asked his men as they entered the house they were hiding out in. Boris Roberts had offered to let Domenico stay until they were sure Ed Brown did not survive, then he would be in the clear. Dante was regretting his decision of not putting a bullet in that damn cop's head. What if he survived? What if Ironside found him? No, he did not think either would happen. Even if Ironside had found him, Brown would have been dead. He was almost dead when Dante came upon him.

"Nobody seems to know, Boss," Boris said. We have been watching Ironside, but we lost him when he took off in that helicopter."

"What about the hospitals?" Domenico asked. "Have you been checking them?"

"Yes, but they will not tell us if Brown was ever admitted," he replied.

"You idiot! Of course they won't tell you! You have to find out on your own!"

"But how? No one will tell me anything, I have tried."

"I want to know if Brown survived. Find out and do it quickly," Domenico roared. Bruno left the room immediately. "Idiots, I am dealing with idiots."

Dante knew he needed to call Benito, but he wanted to be able to tell him for sure that Ed Brown was dead. There was no way he was going to accept anything else. He was regretting it by the minute that he did not kill him when he had the perfect opportunity.

Well, he might as well get it over with. He sent the other two men that were with him out of the room, walked over to the phone and dialed Benito's number. As always, his secretary answered the phone. She put him through to his boss immediately. "What are you still doing in the office, Boss?"

"What the hell do you think I am doing?" Corneilo roared. "I am sitting here waiting for you to call and tell me just what the hell is going on. Have you made arrangements to trade Brown for Delano?"

"There have been complications you don't know about," Dante said.

"Why the hell didn't you call me?" he continued to shout at Domenico.

"What do you think this phone call is for?" Dante said, regretting having said it the minute it came out of his mouth.

"Don't get smart with me, Dante," he snarled. "Just tell me what the hell is going on!"

He knew of no other way then to just say it right out. "Brown got away from us."

"How did that happen? Did you have schoolyard guards watching him?"

"The man that I left with him took off, but we don't have anything to worry about. Ed Brown is dead."

"Are you sure of that? Do you know what he could do to us if he talks?"

"He isn't going to talk. He got lost in the desert and ran into a rattlesnake. He is not going to talk to anyone now," Dante said, hoping that was the case.

"That presents a problem. How are you going to trade a dead man for Delano?"

"We never had any intentions of trading him to Ironside in the first place. When he brings Delano, we will take out Ironside. Then our troubles with be over."

"They better be. If this blows up in our faces, you are going down with me."

Dante did not need to be reminded of that. He was well aware of it. "It is not going to blow up in our faces. I am going to have Ironside bring him out into the desert. If I see anyone at all, he is a dead man, at lease that is what I will tell him. He will be dead anyway."

"Alright, Dante. Make sure Delano doesn't make it out of Las Vegas alive," Corneilo said. "I think you should consider forgetting about the trade and take Delano out when they transport him."

"What about Ironside? We need to take him out."

"We can get him when he comes back to San Francisco, unless you get a clear shot. Don't risk it if you do not. We will have plenty of chances when he comes home. I don't want him getting his hands on you."

"Alright, if that is the way you want it. No trade. We will try to find out how they plan to transport him and how many cops they will have guarding him," Dante said.

"Good idea. Let me know when Delano is dead." Corneilo hung up the phone.

Domenico replaced the receiver into the cradle. Rubbing his temples, he tried to calm the oncoming headache. Everything hinged on what they could find out about how they were going to transport Delano back to San Francisco.

xxxx

Ironside left Ed's room. Looking at his watch, he wondered why Eve had not checked in. He certainly hoped she had not run into any problems. Just down the hall from Ed's room, Mark stood with his back against the wall, the heal of his right foot resting against it. When he saw Ironside headed in his direction, he walked toward him.

"How's Ed?" Mark asked.

"He is doing as well as can be expected," the chief answered. "The antibiotics will removed the rattlesnake's venom from his system. His feet will take longer to heal. We just got to him in time. Much longer and ... "

"Yea," Mark said, interrupting his boss. He did not want to think about what would have happened if they had not found him when they did.

"I don't want it getting out that Ed made it out of the desert. Domenico would come back to finish the job. If he finds out he is in the hospital, he will not try to make the trade. He is going to disappear. Corneilo might think he is loyal, but when it comes to saving his own skin, he will not give Corneilo a second thought."

The chief saw Eve Whitfield coming down the hall. When Mark noticed his attention was elsewhere, he looked in the direction that held the chief's interest. Eve approached the two of them. Ironside immediately asked her, "Any news on where Domenico is yet?"

Eve shook her head. "No, but Captain Gillis is checking all his known associates. He did not return to the hotel."

"That actually surprises me. I would think he would want to act as if nothing had happened, to try to stay above suspicion," Mark said.

"He is not stupid, Mark. He knows that we know why he is here. He can just say he left in a hurry. If Ed had died in that desert, he would simply continue to pay the bill. What do we really have on him? The shack in the desert belongs to Benito Corneilo. How would we proved that he was responsible for killing Ed? We still have not been able to find anyone that saw Ed leave with him. All we have is one little old lady that saw them together. That would not prove a murder case.

"Come to think of it, there isn't going to be any trade. We will not hear from Mister Domenico again," Ironside said.

"You think he will stay away because he can't be sure Ed is dead?" Eve asked.

"That is exactly what I think, Eve. If Ed were dead, he would run the risk of exposing himself as the man who abducted him. By acting as if nothing happened, he knows we would not be able to prove him to be the killer. I am not even sure of a conviction on accessory to Murdock's murder. About all we can prove is that he met with Delano. We have Delano's word and that is about all we have on him."

"So where do we go from here. Do you think he will return to San Francisco then? Eve questioned.

"It is a possibility, Eve, but I don't think so. Both he and Corneilo know that if Delano is not silenced, we will have a case against Mister Corneilo. If they think Ed died in the desert, they will go after Delano while we are transporting him. It is their only chance. Benito Corneilo will have told him to stay here and take out Delano himself. We need to talk to Vince. Let's go," Ironside said as he started moving down the hall.

"I wanted to see Ed," Eve said."

"Later, we have to talk to Captain Gillis," Ironside called over his shoulder. Eve ran to catch up with Mark and the chief.

xxxx

Lieutenant Carl Reese landed at the Las Vegas airport. Having received a call from the chief when Ed come up missing, Carl boarded a plane to help bring Antonio Delano back to San Francisco. After picking up his luggage, Reese rented a car and headed for police headquarters.

When he arrived, the duty desk sergeant told him he was expected. Carl followed him back to Captain Vince Gillis's office. The captain's secretary announced him and showed him to the door. Upon opening it, she invited the lieutenant to enter.

Ironside immediately introduced him. "Vince, this is Lieutenant Reese from our department. He will be escorting Mister Delano back to San Francisco."

Captain Gillis shook Carl's hand. "A pleasure, Lieutenant. I don't envy the job you are here for. Every mobster from here to San Francisco will know you are transporting Delano."

Carl did not seem to be fazed by the captain's remark. "We will get him there, you can count on it."

"Your chief has decided to take him back tomorrow. We will have a police escort to the airport, and Chief Ironside has arranged for one on the other end. The prisoner of course will be handcuffed to you throughout the entire transfer."

"Carl, we want to see if we can draw Domenico in. I have to tell you, you are going to be a target as well," Ironside said.

"I am aware of that, Chief, but we will get him to San Francisco, alive and in one piece. He will stand trial," Carl said.

xxxx

When Ironside arrived back at his motel room that night, the phone message light was flashing. He picked it up, dialed the appropriate number to listen to his messages. One call was from Commissioner Randall wanting a report on the situation. The chief would call him as soon as he listened to the rest of the messages. The second call was Ed Brown calling from the hospital. He decided to return that call first.

Ironside dialed the number for the hospital and asked for Ed's room. He waited until he heard the voice of his sergeant.

"Hello," Ed said.

"Ed, you asked me to call you," Ironside barked.

"Yes, I wanted to know when you are taking Delano back to San Francisco," Brown told him.

"Tomorrow, in the morning."

"I want to come along," Ed announced.

Ironside rubbed his temples. The last time he allowed him to talk him into an assignment ... well, he ended up in that hospital. "I don't think that is a good idea. You need to remain in that hospital for a few days. I brought Carl in to help take Delano back."

"Look, Chief, Dante Domenico is going to try to kill Delano. He has to. Delano is going to finger Corneilo and Domenico. I want to be there to arrest him. I want to be the one that does it."

There was silence on the other end of the phone. Ironside knew he should ignore the pleading in his sergeant's voice, but he couldn't. He could not blame Ed for wanting to be there for Domenico's arrest. The thug had put him through shear hell, but Ed simply was not in any shape to be part of the take down.

"Sergeant, you can barely walk. I am sure the doctors will not be willing to release you from the hospital, and I won't put you in danger in your present condition."

"Chief, I am a cop. My job is danger. I am not asking you to let me be part of the take down, I know I am not in condition to do that. I just want to be the one that puts the cuffs on Domenico," Ed pleaded.

The chief thought about what Ed was asking. He could see no harm in letting him be the one to arrest him as long as he was not taking part in anything else. "Even if I am willing to let you do that, I doubt the doctors will release you."

"I already talked to them about it. They will release me if I agree to stay off my feet for now. The poison is completely out of my system and I am no longer dehydrated," Brown told him.

"I want to hear that from the doctors," Ironside said.

"He's right here, Chief. I will put him on."

A second later a voice said, "This is Doctor Williamson, Chief Ironside. I am willing to release Sergeant Brown if he is willing to stay off his feet and rest."

Well there it was. Ironside was again put in the position of letting Ed work when he didn't personally think it was what was best for him. Yet, he did not blame Ed for wanting to be the one that arrested Dante Domenico, that is if they had the opportunity to do it. Ed would have to come to the airport in order to go home, so what was the harm in letting him arrest Domenico as long as that was all he did. "Alright, Ed, you've got the job."

"Thanks, Chief!" Ed said excitedly.

xxxx

Ironside wheeled into the jail. Lieutenant Carl Reese followed him in. Captain Vince Gillis was there to meet them. "Bob, we have the prisoner ready for transfer. My men will bring him out in a minute."

Carl wondered why Mark was not with the chief. The boss rarely went anywhere without him officially. He was tempted to ask him, but he knew Ironside did not like to be questioned when he was in the middle of transferring a prisoner, so he just let it go.

Two uniformed cops came into the room with Antonio Delano. Carl immediately walked over to him. He pulled the handcuffs off of his belt. Delano willingly put his hands out, and Reese cuffed his left hand to Delano's right one. That way if trouble did arise, Carl would be free to shoot his gun with his right hand. "We are ready, Chief."

Ironside looked at Delano. "Domenico is going to make an attempt to kill you."

"I know," Delano replied.

"If you want to stay alive, you do exactly as Lieutenant Reese tells you. Is that clear?"

"It's clear, Ironside. Do you think I am going to give you trouble. I am laying my life in your hands. Corneilo wants me dead. The only thing preventing that is you."

"You would do well to remember that. The Las Vegas police will accompany us to the airport, and then we are on our own. Lieutenant Reese and Officer Whitfield will protect you on the plane. I will be armed as well. When the plane lands, there will be uniformed cops to take you to police headquarters where you will be our guest until the trial."

"What do you mean we will be on our own at the airport?" Delano worried. "He will have several men there. You can't protect me with this one cop. You have left a perfect hole for him to kill me," he wailed.

"Of course we have left a hole. If we don't, he is not going to come close enough to try," Ironside explained. "I plan on taking this man back with us. Stop worrying, Mister Delano, we have plain clothes detectives throughout the airport. They are going to let him through."

"Are you crazy?!" he shouted.

"If we don't let him through, he will realize it is a set-up. You will be well covered," Ironside assured him.

Lieutenant Reese took Antonio Delano's arm and pushed him towards the door. Ironside followed him out of the room. Armed police officers led them to an awaiting police van. After loading the prisoner into the vehicle, the police offficers helped Ironside into the van. Reese got in and sat down beside the prisoner. Delano felt a bit better when he realized he had been completely surrounded by cops through the entire process. It did not help his nerves knowing what they would be facing at the airport.

Delano had no doubt that Ironside was right, Domenico would find the hole they had set up for him to slip through. He worried that the San Francisco detective was not giving Corneilo's top man credit. Would he still recognize it as a set-up? He still might stay away. Then Delano realized something that Ironside already had, Domenico had no other choice but to make the kill here in Las Vegas. Ironside would have to have a large number of officers on the other end. It would be exactly as the city council would be expecting him to do. Although, from what he had heard, Ironside did everything his way anyway.

Domenico could not allow him to make it to San Francisco. Ironside was banking on that. If they got him there, he would immediately arrest Corneilo. That was where Ironside had the upper hand. Delano knew that Dante had to silence him here, not in San Francisco where it would be considerably harder to do.

The ride to the airport was silent, which drove Delano crazy. He had always known Ironside was a man of few words, but couldn't he at least reassure him that everything was going as planned?

He became increasingly nervous as they pulled the police van into the airport. Delano looked around, but did not see Dante Domenico anywhere, not that he thought he would. The police opened the back door of the van as Lieutenant Reese took hold of Delano. He pushed him towards the door. They stepped to the pavement together and headed towards an awaiting plane. Ironside had apparently arranged for a private jet to take them back to San Francisco.

As they headed towards the steps that would take them up to the jet's level, suddenly shots rang out. Reese dropped to the ground and covered Delano with his body. Pulling his gun from his holster, he looked in the direction the shots had been fired. He could see nothing. After waiting the amount of time Ironside had instructed, he said, "Let's go." He attempted to pull Delano to his feet, but the assassin did not want to move.

"No way! Domenico is shooting at us!"

"Chief Ironside is taking care of that," Reese said, "now move!" He dragged Delano to his feet and moved swiftly to the steps resting against the jet.

Domenico, hidden by the tons of luggage that was sitting waiting to be loaded, cursed himself for missing. Delano should be dead. He still had a chance. Reese had to take Delano up the stairs in order to get him in that jet. As soon as they had ascended enough steps to make it impossible to hit the pavement again, he would fire.

Reese took the pace Ironside had told him to take. He hoped to God the chief had located Domenico as soon as he fired that first shot. He didn't like being a target when he was out in the open, but he trusted Chief Ironside.

As Domenico watched Reese and Delano climb the steps to the jet, he got the feeling something was wrong. Reese should be rushing Delano up those stairs. Yet, he was going up them as if they were on a leisurely walk. It did not make sense, or did it. Ironside! He had set him up!

Delano aimed and prepared to take out Delano. He would take the second shot and kill Ironside's detective. He would teach that damn cripple not to mess with him.

"Drop the gun, Mister Domenico," Ironside said behind him. Domenico turned to see the cripple sitting in his wheelchair. He was holding a gun on him. When Dante did not respond, Ironside repeated, "Drop the gun or you will be shot."

"Maybe, but I can shoot you as well. There is a chance I will come out of it better than you will. I know this airport, I can slip pass anyone you have planted here, Ironside."

Ironside shook his head from side to side. "You won't even make it out of here, let alone the airport. There is one man that will see to that."

"Who, you?" Domenico put his head back and laughed. "Look at yourself. You are a damn cripple and you think you can stop me?"

"No, but there is one man that will," Ironside replied.

Domenico heard a gun cocked to his right. Sergeant Brown came out of hiding. He limped towards the killer. "Hello, Dante, remember me."

The look on Domenico's face was complete shock. He had heard on the news that Brown was still missing. Since he was close to death when he had seen him, he was sure he would have died in the desert. The only explanation was Ironside must have found him shortly after he left him behind. Damn it! He should have killed the cop when he had the chance.

Eve approached them. She too was holding a gun on Domenico.

"So what will it be, Mister Domenico?" Ironside said.

Dante looked around. He could have shot his way out of here with Ironside, but there were now three guns on him. He dropped his gun to the ground.

"Sergeant Brown, will you please do the honors?" Ironside barked.

"Dante Domenico, you are under arrest for accessory to murder of Senator David Murdock, kidnapping and attempted murder. You have the right to remain silent. If you give up the right to remain silent, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law ... "

"Shut up, Brown! I know my rights," Domenico snarled.

Ignoring him, Ed finished reading him his rights and Eve, along with Captain Vince Gillis, who had just joined them, cuffed him.

"Take him to the jet. He is going back to San Francisco to face charges."

Officer Whitfield and Captain Gillis led him away. Ironside looked at Ed. He could barely walk and he was breathing heavily. "Maybe I should get out of this chair and let you sit down."

Ed smiled. "Careful, Chief, I might just take you up on the offer."

Ironside chuckled. "Can you make it to the jet or should I call for a wheelchair?"

Ed could not help but laugh at his boss's sarcasm. "I can make it."

"Well then, don't just stand there, let's go."

Ed looked down at his boss. "Thanks, Chief.

Ironside smiled and then started wheeling his chair towards the jet. Brown hobbled behind him.

xxxx

Benito was getting worried. He had not heard from Dante. Ironside's plane would have landed by now. Why hadn't Dante called him. He had to know that Delano had been taken out. He picked up his phone and punched the intercom. When his secretary answered, he growled, "Has Dante called in yet?"

The secretary looked at the men who were standing in the office and said, "Ah no, but there are police officers here to see you."

Benito Corneilo was stunned. What had gone wrong? He was kicking himself for not putting another exit out of his office. If he had gone home like any normal business man instead of staying in the office all hours of the night, he would have been able to slip away. Now he was cornered. Why did he wait for Dante's call in his office?

The door to his office opened. Mark Sanger held it open and Ironside wheeled in. He was followed by both Lieutenant Carl Reese, Officer Eve Whitfield and Sergeant Ed Brown.

"Hello, Mister Corneilo," Ironside said.

"You are not my idea of company, Ironside, so say what you came to say and get out."

"This is not a social call," Ironside growled. "We have Antonio Delano and Dante Domenico in custody."

Corneilo's composure slipped a bit. "So what. I don't know who Antonio Delano is and Domenico was fired for incompetence."

"Seems they both know you." Ironside stared at Corneilo. "And they are both talking plenty."

"Where is she?" Brown demanded.

"Where is who?" Benito snarled.

"Ava Blake," Ed said. "Our boys found the dead police officers, Corneilo. "What did you do with Ava?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," Benito said.

"That is funny, Billy Torceni and Jimmy Morlino seem to think you know exactly what Sergeant Brown is talking about," Ironside barked.

Corneilo's composure dropped a bit more. "I don't know anyone by that name," Benito said.

"Just how long do you think you can deny knowing all these people?" Ironside asked. "Do you really think a jury is going to discount the testimony of Delano, Domenico, Torceni and Morlino? Not to mention all the evidence we have collected since then?"

I don't care what you have collected, Ironside. I don't know any of those people except Domenico and I can't be held responsible for what illegal acts he has committed."

"Where is Ava Blake?" Ed asked again.

"I don't know, Brown. The last person she was seen with was you, so why are you asking me? Besides, why would I care where the lying whore is?"

Ed moved across the room much faster than Ironside would have thought him capable considering the open blisters on his feet. Ed grabbed Benito Corneilo by his jacket lapels and slammed him against the wall. "Where is she?"

"Ed!" Ironside shouted.

Brown looked back at his boss and then let go of Corneilo. He pulled out his cuffs and said, "You are under arrest."

"On what charge? You have nothing on me!" he shouted.

"We have plenty. Delano apparently doesn't trust you or any of the rest of his clients. He kept recordings, Mister Corneilo. We have you on that recording offering him money to kill Senator Murdock. With that and the testimony of your friends, you are going away for the rest of your life." Ironside looked at his sergeant. "Read him his rights and book him."

xxxx

Carl Reese walked in to the police locker room. After greeting several cops, he headed for a particular locker. Officer Bryan Stillman was changing out of his uniform into civilian clothes. When Stillman spotted the lieutenant, he smiled and said, "Hello, Carl. What brings you down here?"

"You," the detective replied.

Bryan pulled his shirt over his head. As he reached for his gun, Carl picked it up off the bench first. "You will not be needing this anymore. Nor will you be needing this." He took Bryan's badge out of his hand.

"What's this all about Carl?" Stillman complained.

"Chief Ironside has been checking your finances, Stillman. He found out you have been getting regular payments of ten-thousand dollars a month. We both know that you are not making that on a patrolman's pay, now don't we."

"What business does Ironside have looking at my accounts? He better have had a warrant," Stillman stammered.

"Oh, he had a warrant alright. He also had those deposits traced. Seems you have not been satisfied with a policeman's wage. We had those deposits trace back to an account in the name of one of Benito Corneilo's companies. It took a little doing, but Dante Domenico provided us with the names of Corneilo's companies that are in other people's names. Unfortunately for you, the company that has been sending you those deposits is Corneilo's. Ironside also had your house and cell phone bills pulled, with a warrant of course. You have been making regular calls to Benito Corneilo."

Stillman sat down on the bench. "How much trouble am I in?"

Carl pulled the cuffs from behind him where they were hooked on his belt. "You have been on the take. That will get you several years in jail, but that is the least of your troubles. Ironside broke down Domenico. Amazing how those tough crooks will sing when cornered. He fingered you as the man that has been providing him with information, including Senator Murdock's schedule. You also gave up Ava Blake's location. So far, you are an accessory to the murder of the senator, and if Ava Blake shows up dead, you can add accessory to her murder. I hope it was all worth it to you, because you are not going to be spending any of that money from a prison cell."

Reese cuffed Bryan Stillman and led him out of the police locker room while all of the other cops watched.

xxxx

Ironside sat at the table in his office residence. Eve and Mark were with them at the table. They did not envy the chief for the task he had ahead of him. Nobody liked to be the messenger of bad news. Eve had told her boss she would deliver the news, but Ironside had declined. He thought he owed it to Ed.

It had been a week since they had arrested Domenico, Corneilo and Stillman. More arrests, including Torceni, Morlino, and dozens of crooks that worked under Corneilo had been done in that week. The newspapers had hailed Ironside and his staff heroes for finding, arresting and destroying Corneilo's organization. Ironside knew nothing had been destroyed. It had only been crippled. Someone would step forward to take over Corneilo's place, but at least for now, the operation had been interrupted and stopped.

The city council had taken advantage of Ironside's notoriety, holding a press conference taking credit for the city of San Francisco for bringing down Corneilo's criminal enterprise. The chief had noticed they had completely left out Senator David Murdock, giving him no credit for the arrest of Corneilo and his thugs. If they had been honest. Murdock had been directly responsible for the arrests. If it had not been for his attack on the San Francisco Police Department and bringing Corneilo front and center in the press, the mobster would still be operating today. Chief Ironside was surprised the counsel gave him and his staff any credit at all, although it would have been difficult as he and officers under his orders were out arresting thug after thug. The papers had pictures of him as he brought Corneilo out of his office building.

The door to his office opened and Katherine Denueve came in. She walked down the ramp. She had a dinner date with Robert Ironside. He would normally pick her up, but Robert had told her he had to talk to Ed, so she met him at his office. "You are early," Ironside said, with a smile.

"Yes, I hope it is not a problem," Katherine said. "I guess I was just anxious to see you. We have not spent much time together since you got back from Las Vegas. You have been so busy arresting people."

Ironside took her hand. "I apologize for neglecting you, but I promise to make up for it tonight. Dinner, a concert, and drinks afterwards."

"I am surprised we are not going to the fights or a ballgame," she said with a twinkle in her eyes. Mark and Eve could not keep from smiling.

The door to the office opened and Ed came in. He had been off all week. Ironside had insisted that he get off his feet and give them a chance to heal so that he did not get infection in them. Ed did not like it but he knew he could not defy the chief. It did not stop him from calling the office several times a day to find out if there was any news regarding Ava Blakes's whereabouts. Ironside had promised Ed he would do everything possible to find Ava, and Ed had kept checking.

The chief looked back to see his sergeant come into the office. He nodded at Eve and Mark. Eve turned to Katherine. "Would you like to join us? We are going to go across the street for a drink."

Katherine understood immediately and joined them as they left the office. Ed watched them leave and slipped into a seat by his boss. He had not been a detective under Ironside for years without developing deductive skills. He knew the chief had just sent everyone out of the office. He sensed this was not going to be a pleasant conversation. He waited for his boss to start.

Robert Ironside hated breaking bad news and he only knew of one way to do it, tell the person right out. Yet, this was Ed. He knew the news was going to hurt him, and the last thing he wanted was to hurt his sergeant. He had been through enough already.

"Ed, we have found Ava," he told him.

Brown's heart sank as he knew what was coming next. "She's dead, isn't she?"

Ironside nodded to confirm Ed's worse fears. He watched as his sergeant looked down and said nothing for quite some time. Finally, he found his voice. "How?"

"Torceni and Morlino found out where she was through Officer Stillman. They went after her, killed the cops guarding her and took her to Corneilo. He slapped her around for what he consider her betrayal. She fell and hit her head on the coffee table. The blow was fatal. I am sorry, Ed."

Brown just sat there thinking about what could have been. It brought back his memories of Ann, who had been taken from him by Tom Dayton. Would he ever find love, or was he destined to be alone as long as he was a cop. Maybe he should not put a woman through that again. It seemed to be a death sentence.

Ironside, sensing what Brown was thinking about, said, "It is not true, Ed."

Ed looked up to his boss. "What?"

"You don't have to make a choice between a relationship and your job. I felt the same way when Barbara left me, and then Katherine came into my life. Everything happens for a reason, Ed. I sincerely believe that. Barbara and I were not meant to be, and I should have realized it after I lost her twice. Neither was Jeanine and I meant to be either. This relationship with Ava Blake was not meant to be. I know there have been several women in your life over the years, only to lose them. I experienced the same thing. Someday, there will be one that is meant to be and then it will happen. You have to believe that."

Ed smiled. "Is one of your talents now mind reading?"

"No, but I am a detective," he smiled back.

"Chief, if it is okay with you, I would like to take a few more days off," Ed told him.

"No, it is not alright with me. You don't need time on your hands to brood. I know you, Ed. What you need is to work. It will help you with grieving, so I expect you in this office by nine tomorrow."

Ed knew the chief was right. All he would do is brood. He was much better off working to keep his mind off Ava. "Okay, Chief. I'll see you in the morning." Brown stood up and headed up the ramp. He stopped as he reached the top. "Chief."

"Yes, Ed."

"Thanks."

Ironside turned his chair towards him and nodded. He watched as Ed left the office.

After sitting there for a moment, he finally went over to the desk, grabbed the keys to the van and left. Ironside got in the elevator and pressed the button for the garage. He wheeled out of the garage and across the street to the restaurant. When he spotted Katherine, Mark and Eve sitting in a booth, he headed over to them.

Eve looked up. "Is Ed alright?"

"Why wouldn't he be?" the chief barked. Then he soften his voice. "He'll be fine."

Eve and Mark got up and excused themselves. Ironside watched them leave before he turned back to Katherine.

"I seem to remember a detective who stopped a maniac from setting off a nuclear bomb in the city, but lost his love in the process. He was pretty down," she said.

"But he went on, just like Ed has to do. I know Ed. I know what is best for him, and right now that is work. Someday, he will find his Katherine," he looked at her and smiled.

"I hope so, Robert. He will be a good catch for some gal."

"Come on, we have dinner reservations. If we don't get going, we won't have time to eat before the concert."

Katherine got up and followed him out of the restaurant.

xxxx

Ed Brown got out of his car in front of the nightclub in which he had met Ava Blake. He didn't think he could ever enter the place again. He would only be reminded of her and the one and only night he had spent with her. Why was fate so cruel? He could have been happy with her, he was sure of it. In his mind, he could see her face, feel her tender touch and hear her laughter.

Tomorrow he would return to work. More cases, more criminals and long hours. Ed loved what he did. He loved being Chief Ironside's number one man, and he loved working with him, Eve, Mark, Carl and on occasion, Fran. He could not give it up. It was what he did, it was who he was. He heard the chief's words, it wasn't meant to be. Maybe he was right, he usually was. He only wished when something wasn't meant to be, that it did not end in death. "I am so sorry, Ava," he whispered.

Ed opened the door to his car. He now understood why Ironside wanted to be alone after Barbara left him. He needed to be alone, just as Ed needed to be. He slipped into the car and headed for home. Life would go on. At least he had closure, not knowing had driven him to distraction. Ava was at rest. Corneilo would not hurt her anymore and he would pay for what he had done. That provided at least some comfort.

Ed pulled his Ford into the street to head home... alone.

The End

Author Notes: I do not own the Ironside characters. They are the creation of Collier Young. The rest of the characters were created in my mind to write this story. Thank you to all the readers who continue to read and support my work. You are appreciated. And thank you to Journey Through Time for proofing this story for publishing.

Kathleen (kaleen1212)


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